The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff

Sometimes a classic needs some time before it truly connects with the audience.  Take It's a Wonderful Life, for example.  We know it as one of the greatest Christmas films ever (actually the second best Christmas film ever, according to my review!).  But when the film came out, audiences did not want to see it, despite the presence of Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart.  It was not until decades later, when the film began to make rounds on television, that it became the beloved classic it is now.  In 1983, The Right Stuff was released to glowing reviews, but sort of fizzled at the box office. While critics still adore the film - and even rate it consistently among the best of the decade - it has yet to find that wide audience.  If you are film buff, or a NASA or Air Force fan, you most likely have seen it.  But I am surprised how many people haven't...and how many have not even heard of it. So I hope this review is me doing my part in changing that injustice.  The Right Stuff really is that good and should be seen by everyone.

Based on the classic novel by Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff is the story of the beginnings of America's space program, beginning with Chuck Yaeger's breaking of the sound barrier, then following the recruitment and eventual missions of the original seven Mercury astronauts.  The storytelling in the film is a bit odd, to be honest, without a main character or straightforward narrative arc, or even a true climax.  Instead the film just kind of bounces around, juxtaposing Yaeger's story with that of the Mercury astronauts (while also keeping tabs on the Russians' space program). This lack of a traditional narrative, which you would think would be a flaw, is actually a true strength here, adding to the film's authenticity.  It's a remarkable bit of screenwriting and directing.

It also helps when you have this cast - Sam Shepard, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Donald Moffat, Fred Ward, Kim Stanley, Harry Shearer, Jeff Goldblum, Lance Henrickson, Scott Glenn, Veronica Cartwright - this is one helluva cast and they are all perfect in their roles.  I would give special props to Ed Harris, who plays the patriotic boy scout of the bunch (and future Senator) John Glenn, Scott Glenn as the first American in space Alan Shepard, and especially Sam Shepard as the stoic daredevil Yaeger.

The main reason I personally like The Right Stuff is that it is a three-hour long class in filmmaking. Directed by Philip Kaufman (Henry and June), this movie teaches me something new every time I see it. The first time you watch The Right Stuff, you should just sit back and enjoy it.  But the second time, you should try to distance yourself from the movie and watch how it is made.  It's remarkable.  Observe how the shots are constructed and how that subtly reinforces character and story points (especially true in the scenes with the astronauts and their wives).   Look at the how the various narrative arcs are strung together, seemingly disjointed but still completely dependent on each other. Look at the acting, the set direction, the costumes...I could go on.

There are a few things I don't like about The Right Stuff, admittedly.  In places, Bill Conti's Oscar-winning score is magnificent, but in other spots it sounds like the worst of 1980s synth.  It's just not my cup of tea.  I also find Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer's characters to be a bit too cartoonish. Playing goofy NASA recruiters, they truly are funny, but their slapstick routine seems out of place at times and more appropriate for a Three Stooges film (which I suppose is the point, in some ways).

SPOILERS HERE: I do have mixed feelings about the NASA accident involving Gus Grissom (Fred Ward).  The scene is incredibly well done, but I feel it implies that Grissom panicked and was responsible for the accident, but in real life, he had been cleared of any wrong doing long before the book and film were released.  So while that sequence in of itself is excellent, I feel weird about it.  Also, I really do not like the very, very ending at all.  There is a bit of folksy narration just before the end credits, as Gordo Cooper is launching into space for his mission.  The narration tells us the fate of one of the other characters, and ONLY one of them - which is already a bit lame - and explains that he died a horrible, horrible death, and then switches gears and tries to end on a funny note:"but that day Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had seen."  First of all, why only tell us the fate of only one of the characters?  And then why depress us, and then throw a cheeky curveball about Cooper that is supposed to make us laugh.  As many times as I've seen the movie, it still doesn't sit well with me.  SPOILERS END.

But these are all minor points, in no way impacting the coolness of this movie as a whole.  The Right Stuff is a brilliant movie, and worthy of its accolades, but still searching for the wide audience that will keep it in the public consciousness generation after generation - an achievement it absolutely deserves.

BEST LINE:
This is my personal favorite line in what is also my favorite scene of the movie.

John Glenn: Annie, listen to me.  If you don't want the Vice President or the TV networks or anybody else to come into the house, then that's it, as far as I'm concerned.  They are not coming in, and I will back you all the way, 100 percent on this.  And you tell them that, ok?  I don't want Johnson or any of the rest of them to set as much as one toe inside our house.  You tell them astronaut John Glenn told you to say that.

MVP:
Apparently Tom Wolfe was displeased with the movie because it made Yaeger more of a hero than the other astronauts.  I disagree with that. Yes, the movie implies that Yaeger has "the right stuff" because he is the one who continues to push the barriers without the benefit of NASA scientists.  But as Yaeger himself points out in the movie, the astronauts are the ones who are brave enough to ignore their natural piloting instincts and strap themselves at the head of a rocket that very likely could explode and kill them.  They are at the mercy of scientists who aren't sure if any of this was going to work.  So what is "the Right Stuff" anyway?  What does that mean exactly and who has it?  It's an intriguing question and one that is much debated about the movie.

But someone who definitely has the Right Stuff is Sam Shepard, playing Chuck Yaeger.  He is such an unassuming character - quiet, humble, completely unflappable, and incredibly badass.  He doesn't need to act tough or talk trash about breaking flying records.  If you break his record, he'll just shrug a little and then go break the record again.  Shepard's presence is felt throughout the entire film. Sure, the narrative is slanted to favor Yaeger, but at the same time, without the complete confidence of Shepard's performance, I doubt it would have been anywhere near as effective.  Shepard earned an Oscar nomination for the role, and I think he should have won.  He wins my MVP, though.

TRIVIA:
The original composer hired for the film was John Barry (Oscar-winner for Dances with Wolves), but he left the project due to creative differences with director Philip Kaufman.  More accurately, he wasn't quite sure what Kaufman wanted.  According to Barry, when asked to describe his perfect score, Kaufman said he wanted music that sounded like "you're walking in the desert and you see a cactus, and you put your foot on it, but it just starts growing up through your foot."  Huh?  This also might explain why the music in the film is so hit-or-miss.

Gravity

Gravity

Beware the hype machine!  When you have critics raving about Gravity being one of the best movies in years, and then filmmakers like James Cameron stating that Gravity is possibly the greatest space movie ever...well, that's dangerous.  And it is setting the bar impossibly high.  Pre-conceived notions can ruin a movie.  The result is that people may not know what to expect from Gravity, but if they don't get the greatest theatrical experience of their lives, they are bound to be disappointed.

'That movie wasn't about anything,' they might complain.  'It looks cool, but nothing much happens.'  And technically, they would be correct.  The story is not original, and it's also fairly slight.  A NASA shuttle crew is in space, working on the Hubble Telescope, when they run afoul of a pile of space shrapnel, destroying their shuttle and leaving only two crew members alive, mission commander Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock).  Stranded in space and running short on oxygen, they need to think of a way to escape back to Earth. 

And that's about it. I'm not hiding any plot twists or anything.  That is literally all there is to it, story-wise.  But the story doesn't need to be more than that.  Why pad the runtime with subplots that will only dilute the film?  This is lean and efficient storytelling, without an ounce of fat. 

You know what?  I think I am about to be a hypocrite and add to the hype machine.  This is easily one of the most dazzling movies of the year - both in terms of its visuals and in terms of the filmmaking prowess.  Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity is a movie for movie lovers.  Cuaron is breaking new ground in terms of camera work and the use of the CGI (and most fascinating to me, the innovative combination of the cinematography with the effects work).  Cuaron loves long takes, and there are multiple scenes in this movie that go on for an insanely long periods of time without the camera cutting away.  That must have taken an immense amount of intricate planning between the director, the camera operators, and the actors who had to hit their spots perfectly every single time.  This must have been such a painstaking process and I am in awe of what they achieved.

I would even recommend seeing the movie in 3-D, which is a surprise coming from me, because I don't normally like 3-D.  It's an over-priced gimmick, and one that is normally done poorly.  Even when it is done well, I don't think it really adds anything to the film.  Besides, those glasses give me a headache.  But Gravity was a headache worth having! 

The acting is also very good.  Bullock carries much of the film on her shoulders, revealing a depth that I haven't really seen in her other work, including her Oscar-winning turn in The Blind Side.  And Clooney is great, too.  Some folks say, 'he's just acting like Clooney,' but I disagree.  Pay attention to when the suave charmer we all know shifts into Mission Commander mode and starts barking orders.  It's a subtle shift, the way he plays it, but not any less effective because of it.  I thought he was great.

As is the whole film.  There is one moment near the end that annoyed me, the one time the movie breaks into a Hollywood formula, but other than that, I was with this roller coaster ride.  Gravity is one of the most effective films of the year, full of tension and emotion, and I easily think it is one of the top contenders for Best Picture come Oscar time.

That is - if the backlash doesn't swoop in and derail its growing reputation.  Which would really be shame.  Look, this is not the greatest space movie of all time, but it is still fantastic.  Don't let the hype get in your head because it might just ruin a brilliant film.  I was utterly absorbed, and I hope you are just as thrilled by the movie as I was.  Yes, Gravity is simple, but it is cinema as art, and it is simply brilliant. 


MVP:

No doubt in my mind, this is Cuaron's MVP award.  And it is his filmmaking style that elevates Gravity into a work of art.  His insistence on long takes and slower pacing just makes the movie more effective and suspenseful (watching the scene where Stone has to release some clamps near the International Space Station had me so close to the edge of my seat, I almost fell off!  And it is also one, long, stable shot...so take that, Hollywood, with your insistence of shaky cam and over-editing scenes to pieces!).  Anyways, Cuaron is brilliant, and so is Gravity.

BEST LINE:

Dr. Ryan Stone: I hate space.

TRIVIA:

In terms of trivia, I always think it is fun to hear about who was originally cast in a film.  Before Sandra Bullock, the lead character was to be played by Angelina Jolie, but she dropped out.  Natalie Portman was also offered the part, but she turned down the role shortly before announcing her pregnancy.  Robert Downey, Jr, was to play Kowalski, but he also dropped out, opening up the role for Clooney. 

Appaloosa

Appaloosa

What happened to the Western? Westerns used to be one of the most popular and reliable genres in Hollywood and then it just virtually dropped off the face of the planet. It's strange because in many ways, the Western is America's mythology - cities like Tombstone and Dodge City stand in for Athens or Sparta, while American legends like Jesse James and Billy the Kid are like our Hercules and Theseus. But for whatever reason, new Western films are few and far between.

Unfortunately, films like Appaloosa are not going to help the genre make its comeback. All the pieces of the puzzle are in place, but unfortunately the movie is a beautiful looking bore. When a local rancher Bragg (Jeremy Irons) kills the town marshal, the town of Appaloosa hires famous and tough-as-iron lawmen Cole (Ed Harris) and Hitch (Viggo Mortenson) to restore order and bring Bragg to justice. As if matters aren't complicated enough, a poor piano player named Allie (Renee Zellweger) arrives in town, intent on providing herself with domestic stability no matter the cost.

Harris, who also wrote and directed the film, respects all the rules of the genre, but really focuses on making this a character study. The friendship between Cole and Hitch is wonderfully played and not overly written. They communicate whole conversations just with their facial expressions, and don't waste a lot of time on pointless exposition. But just because Appaloosa is a serious character study doesn't mean it needs to be dull. The movie's pace is dreadful - while I appreciate the effort to not rush and allow us to see the different shades of the characters, it would be nice if something would actually happen every once in awhile. Being realistic and focusing on character development doesn't mean you have to make me sleepy.

The story could also use some work. Here's an example and SPOILER ALERT here: Jeremy Irons' Bragg completely changes character and motivation about 2/3 through the movie for no good reason. And it's all explained away with one line - "I'm now a reformed man." What? When? I never saw that happen. One scene he is the evil rancher yelling for Cole's death and the next scene he is a sophisticated town saloon owner, polite and friendly to everyone. This is accepted by everyone in the movie because well, see, he's a reformed man now. Boo. I expect better.

A lot of critics really seemed to like this movie when it came out. And there is a lot to appreciate. The acting is solid throughout, with Mortenson probably being the highlight. There was some complaining about Zellweger, but I actually think the character was so unlikable that those feelings transferred over to her performance, which I think is pretty good. The period costumes and sets are superb and don't look like a bunch of actors playing dress up on a studio backlot. The city of Appaloosa looks lived in, and that is a great achievement. The cinematography by Dean Semler is terrific (though I would expect no less from the master behind the camera for Dances with Wolves, Lonesome Dove and uh, Nutty Professor 2). With so much to like, it really is a shame that the whole thing doesn't gel together more smoothly. Perhaps with a script polish and a more experienced director behind the reins, this movie could have really moved. Imagine what Walter Hill could have done with this story?

Ah, well. So it's a misfire. A slow, plodding misfire with a lot to admire. Hopefully the studios will look at it as a lesson on how to make the next Western better, instead of proof that they should stop making them at all.


MVP: You know, I wondered who would win this acting battle between two intense heavyweights - Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson. Their scenes together in A History of Violence were some of the best parts of that movie (with Harris probably slightly winning the duel in that movie). But in Appaloosa, there is no debate. This is Viggo's film. Armed with a kickass massive shotgun and some of the best movie facial hair I've seen in a long time, Viggo's Everett Hitch is a loyal and smart man - probably a bit smarter than his boss. Every nuance Viggo brings to the performance is the right choice - and he manages to make the gunslinger both sensitive and tough at the same time. Good stuff.

TRIVIA: Diane Lane was originally cast as Allie, but had to drop out during pre-production. As I mentioned, I liked Zellweger in the role. But I am a huge fan of Diane Lane so this would have been much preferred. Alas...

BEST LINE: (After an anti-climactic shootout) Hitch: That was quick. Cole: Yeah...cause everyone could shoot."