DVD
The Right Stuff
Special Edition

Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Dennis Quaid, Charles Frank and Ed Harris
Warner Home Video
RRP: £19.99

D024499
Certificate: 15
Available now


Based on a book by Tom Wolfe, the history of aviation in America is portrayed from the later forties, with the first breaking of the sound barrier, through to the early space program. A group of elite pilots are selected to train for the Mercury project space race against the Russians, and put their lives on the line for the pride of America...

Four Academy Awards notwithstanding, whether you enjoy The Right Stuff or not depends very much on who you are, or at least where you are situated in the world. There is more than enough to appreciate if you look in the right places. The filming is undoubtedly top-notch stuff, and the presentation informs you that the piggy bank was raided for a suitable budget. But then you have the dialogue and overall feel of the thing.

In the entire history of film and TV, I don't think I've ever come across such gung-ho, self-obsessed, shameless backslapping, flag-waving, self-congratulatory Pepsi... I mean, patriotism. Oh, the puerile over-sentimentality. It felt so false. Everyone has the right to be patriotic, but this abuses the privilege. I watched it with one eye on the sick bucket, just in case. And, in the event the viewers might forget how they should be feeling whilst watching The Right Stuff, the Bill Conti music regularly crashes in over the top with its sickly, overemotional feel good score. It made the many John Williams contributions for Steven Spielberg sound harsh in comparison. If I hadn't been so worried about further increasing my nausea, I'd have stood up and saluted.

Why couldn't Philip Kaufman just get on with telling the story without all the twee singing of its own praises? A country or individual person is measured by his actions and achievements, not his opinions of them. Here we have a veritable plethora of screen stars: Fred Ward, fondly remembered for the low budget gem, Tremors; Lance Henriksen, the android Bishop in Aliens; Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn - all of whom struggle not to drown in their own heroism and cheesy grins. Ed Harris, so good in James Cameron's The Abyss, plays John Glenn, the all-American blue-eyed ex-marine astronaut who can do no wrong. This he pulls off pretty well. In fact, for me the best scene of the movie is the one where his wife refuses an audience with the Vice President, and is supported wholeheartedly by Glenn via long-distance telephone.

Don't believe for one minute that I'm belittling the achievements of the real men involved in these historic events. My argument is that they were probably just doing the best they could in difficult circumstances. In this film the script has the space program and the media pour far too much syrup over the story.

For anyone with a stronger stomach than mine, this DVD package contains many extra features on a second disc, and must surely win a couple of points for its eye-catching design and attention to detail. You'll find included: a profile of the real John Glenn; commentaries by Philip Kaufman and other cast and crew; three documentaries; thirteen additional scenes; and an interactive timeline with NASA footage.

Ty Power

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