Phillip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff” is an exhilerating epic adventure film that chronicles the United States’ role in the space race. The film is a fine adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s best-selling novel with the same title. It features stunning photography and many memorable aerial sequences.

The cast consists of many lesser known actors but each player is perfect for his or her part.

Sam Shepard is a playwright who often writes about the death of the old West. It is only natural that he plays Chuck Yeager; a modern day equivalent to the cowboy.

Yeager is a soft spoken loner who acts like he just walked out of a Hollywood western. During the film, Yeager agrees to break the sound barrier in a rocket plane. Even though he injured his side the night before, the hero does not allow the physical pain to deter him when there’s a job to be done.

The movie invites us to compare him to other astronauts who become “superstar” media celebrities. Unlike Yeager, they openly court publicity while he remains unheralded.

The astronauts are brave but they often act like overgrown adolescents. John Glenn (played by Ed Harris) objects to his fellow astronaut’s promiscuity because he believes that they are spoiling their images as American heroes. The other astronauts see him as being priggish but in actuality he is the only one who has any moral fiber.

There are also some unexpected laughs in the film. The astronauts go through a rigorous training program but they are humiliated when a chimpanzee is sent up before them (the chimp even makes the cover of Time magazine). There is also a hilarious scene in which the real Chuck Yeager enters the picture for a brief moment to stand behind Shepard in a bar. (Yeager also served as the film’s technical advisor).

A Grim Reaper like character adds a dark undercurrent to the film. He dresses in black and his job is to inform the pilot’s families after their deaths. His presence is a constant reminder that death is always ready to claim the pilots’ lives.

“The Right Stuff” is over three hours long, but it never ceases to be provactive or exciting. The performances are believable and the script is first rate. The impact might be slightly diminished on the small screen but the film is still entertaining on video.