The Right Stuff

If ever you're looking for the supreme example of masculinity, look no further than The Right Stuff. Bravery, heroism, innovation, patriotism, love, spirituality, and a sense of adventure are just some of the things I would use to describe the men in this movie. While making no attempts at being egalitarian, or even equal about the sexes, it is an excellent portrait of the emotional spectrum that was run in America during the space race in the early 1960s. Taken as both as both an historical document and artistic exercise, it is an excellent film.

I first encountered this movie when a local video store (remember those?) was going out of business and I, at 13 years old, couldn't stomach the thought of all those hundreds of videotapes of all those hundreds of movies going the way of the 8-Track, the clip-on earring, and land-line phone. I laid claim to as many as my tween-sized wallet could handle. Among these was the two tape set of The Right Stuff. The cover was reason enough to invest. Seven men in shiny silver suits? Yes please.

After I had effectively judged the book by its cover, I actually watched it. Oh. My. God. It's a fantastic example of how intelligent narrative filmmaking, paired with just a little bit of unconventional artistry can produce something memorable and profound. There are hints at the search-for-victory, cum the search-for-meaning in what the astronauts of the early 60s were doing by rocketing into the skies only to plummet back to earth. Abstract segments of color and lights, seen from the cockpit perspective, have informed my personal idea of what the search for God, in a very real, physical sense, might look like.

The Quiet; The Upright; The Brave; The Strong; The Charismatic--they're all there, represented in each, and all, of the astronauts in this movie. They are awe-inspiring, as is how much I find myself wanting to be them... or at least in their suits.