The Right Stuff (1983)

Ebert calls the film one of the best recent American movies for its ambitious scope blending adventure, satire and social commentary, and for its strong performances that announce Kaufman's arrival as a major director.

Benson praises the brash, beautiful and deeply American film for its high-spirited combination of New Journalism style with movie resources, highlighting Sam Shepard's charismatic Yeager and the seamless extraordinary flying footage.

The film is a modern Western celebrating quiet virtue and heroism as test pilots and astronauts reach for the skies. Kaufman matches John Ford in his respectful poetic treatment of the subject while acknowledging the surrounding media circus.

The film lacks a clear directorial voice but captures the moral ambiguity of the book, creating tension and making viewers root for multiple characters. It remains compelling thanks to its inherent drama, photography and score.

The critic calls Kaufman's epic stirring and dynamic, noting how it ties the astronauts' quests for glory and personal fulfillment to the thrill of pushing limits and the fear of being second best. Special admiration is reserved for Yeager as the true pioneer, with the film blending irony, humor, and poignancy in its portrayal of the space race.

The review lauds Kaufman's adaptation for its subversive, ironic take on hero-making and the space program, preserving the irreverent tone of Wolfe's book while celebrating the astronauts' bravery and Yeager's quiet heroism. It highlights the film's blend of intimacy, grandeur, and revisionist history as one of the decade's richest achievements.

The critic praises the film as a vivid and personal American epic that humanizes the Mercury astronauts and test pilots through their training, risks, and family struggles. Philip Kaufman's script and direction are credited for balancing heroism with toughness and humor while showcasing spectacular flight footage.

Canby describes the adaptation as a rousing, funny film that is probably the brightest and best rookie/cadet movie ever made, singling out Sam Shepard's Yeager as the commanding figure and the remarkably convincing flight footage.

The review calls the film a humdinger full of beauty, intelligence and excitement that provides a fresh, entertaining look at the US space program, noting it tells its three-hour tale lickety-split under Kaufman's direction.