Epic and glorious were America’s dreams to master the sky and journey into space. Also epic and glorious is this landmark movie about one adventurous test pilot, seven brave astronauts and the colourful era that forged their heroism: Philip Kaufman’s spectacular film of Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff.

Winner of four Academy Awards, The Right Stuff chronicles the story of the pioneering Mercury astronauts: men named Shepard, Grissom, Glenn, Carpenter, Schirra, Cooper and Slayton, the first Americans to ride a primitive spacecraft solo into a new frontier. Preceding them in the history books was the legendary Chuck Yeager, who far removed from the awesome media spotlight that would focus on the “spacemen” a decade later, became the first man to break the sound barrier piloting the fabled X-1.

Sam Shepard (as Yeager), Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Barbara Hershey, Fred Ward and others in a marvellous ensemble cast make this sweeping saga funny, touching and bracingly human. Like the movie that contains them, they embody The Right Stuff of exciting entertainment.