The decade spanning tale of the original Mercury 7 astronauts and everything they and their families went through to prove that they were made of...The Right Stuff.
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In my opinion it is far easier to make a perfect film when things are kept small. With a limited amount of characters, a short run-time and with a clear narrative, less is left to chance. There can be far greater control. Once you go beyond that, things become drastically more difficult. It becomes a delicate balancing act and things can easily become unwieldy. Lots of big films come come extremely close to victory, only to fumble at the last minute. I was so relieved when this film didn't burn up on re-entry. Knowing the three-hour plus run-time in advance can be intimidating, but you absolutely do not feel it at all. And like the best long films (Apocalypse Now, The Great Escape, Seven Samurai, etc.) you come out the other end feeling like you've been on a journey. You feel as if you've lived through something. And like the Mercury program itself, this was the work of a whole group of extremely talented individuals operating at the top of their craft in the interest of a greater good. The performances are wonderful, the effects are amazing and the cinematography reminds you that Caleb Deschanel was someone before he was Zooey's dad. This movie literally has, "the right stuff".
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