Harry here... 1983 was the last innocent year of my life - that was the year my parents split and my life got scary. That summer and early fall was the last time when I believed everything was perfect in my life. That summer started with that Miniseries "V" which I absolutely ate up like it was German Chocolate Cake. Though it was just passing the time till RETURN OF THE JEDI - which I loved at the time, though I never cared for Ewoks. The film that really got me that summer was WARGAMES - the idea that I could cause World War 3 through my Commodore 64 - and I remember thinking... WOW - I CAN HOOK A PHONE UP TO MY COMPUTER AND CALL OTHER COMPUTERS? COOOL! The films of that period were very special and the last major one that was released before my world went to hell came out on September 9th at the AMERICANA theater here in Austin. It was THE RIGHT STUFF. The film just made everyone I knew want to grow up to be an astronaut for real. And that following March when it was up against all those "shitty movies" for Best Picture like that weepy fucking TERMS OF ENDEARMENT and that yuppie shit THE BIG CHILL and film about Alcoholic whiney singers TENDER MERCIES and whatever the fuck THE DRESSER was... I mean... How could that stuff even compare one ounce to the gigantic coolness that was THE RIGHT STUFF. Yet again, I learned at an early age that the Academy Awards are full of shit, and I enjoyed screaming at my TV and walking away from it all thinking, "At least fucking Yentyl didn't win Song!" Point is... As I grew up and I saw those other films... I agreed, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT and THE BIG CHILL and TENDER MERCIES were all wonderful films... But, THE RIGHT STUFF is the one that my love grows larger and larger for with each passing year. Future generations will experience this with FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS over A BEAUTIFUL MIND... I promise. A testement to the power of THE RIGHT STUFF is the fact that after 20 years so many of its cast showed up for this Cinematheque screening and who else showed up. Sounds like ONE HELLUVA NIGHT. I envy all who went. I saw a beautiful print of this last year at the Paramount here... But God... to see it with Chuck Yeager... wow.
In conjunction with the DVD release today, last night's twenty year anniversary screening of "The Right Stuff" held at the American Cinematheque's, Egyptian Theater in Hollywood was a star studded event. In attendance were director Philip Kaufman, producer Robert Chartoff, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, special effects genius Gary Guiterrez, actors Ed Harris, Charles Frank, Barbara Hershey, Veronica Cartwright, Lance Henrickson, Mary Jo Deschanel, Scott Wilson, Kathy Baker, Jeff Goldblum, Harry Shearer, Pamela Reed and Scott Paulin. All were gracious towards the audience and their fans.
But, the most important, the two who both received standing ovations were, General Charles "Chuck" Yeager and Colonel Gordon "Gordo/Hot Dog" Cooper, the two men who made a significant impact on the development of experimental aircraft and spaceflight. Two men, who made history that this movie was based on. I was lucky to sit two chairs away from General Yeager and to watch Sam Shepherd portray him on the big screen, then to look over at General Yeager, the man who shot down five German planes in one day during World War II, broke the sound barrier, setting the high altitude record in the F-104 Starflighter, to see his expressions watching the movie, was an overwhelming site I will never forget. Chuck Yeager is a man with "The Right Stuff." A man that was willing to dare to do what many would never try. A man that was willing to risk his life not for money, glamour or fame, but because of the challenge of pushing himself and to explore the unknown. This is what the fabric of "The Right Stuff" truly is. To be a "Rocket Jockey," like Gordon Cooper, knowing that you have a one in four chance of getting killed in the line of work that you do. Knowing that the "Roman Candle" that you're riding on could explode on the launch pad. Pushing the envelope, that's what these men did. This is what heroes are made of.
Dennis Bartok, who held the q and a after the film, pointed out that out of all the past events the Cinematheque has held, this one by far, had the most cast and crew on the stage. Philip Kaufman wrote and directed a faithful adaptation of Tom Wolf's book that still holds up twenty years later. The special effects and models are most impressive and can rival any CGI work done today.
If you have not seen this film, I urge you to buy the DVD. You will not be disappointed. It truly is, "The Right Stuff."
Uncapie
