Oscar-Winning Space Drama ‘The Right Stuff’ Now Streaming for Free on Tubi

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The timeless classic, “The Right Stuff,” which won an Academy Award in 1983, has found a new platform for streaming. Now, this Philip Kaufman-directed film can be enjoyed on Tubi, allowing fans to watch it completely free of charge. Other notable titles joining the free streaming service include “Little Shop Of Horrors” from 1986, Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws,” “Chariots of Fire,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The movie, titled like Tom Wolfe’s non-fiction novel, portrays a highly authentic account of the space race. It focuses on the thrilling voyage undertaken by the initial group of test pilots, later recognized as the Mercury Seven. These trailblazers were chosen by the U.S. administration to embark on space travel, according to the movie’s summary.

From surpassing the speed of sound to choosing the Mercury 7 astronauts, the U.S. space program’s evolution showcased a shift from experienced test pilots with a more impulsive style, contrasting the conservative approach favored by the program’s engineering team.

The movie “The Right Stuff” boasts an impressive lineup of well-known Hollywood stars. Notable members of the large cast were Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey, Lance Henriksen, Scott Glenn, Kim Stanley, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, and others. The extensive star-studded cast was one factor contributing to the film’s substantial production costs. United Artists agreed to a hefty budget of $20 million for the project, but shortly after, the financial failure of “Heaven’s Gate” occurred. This Western epic had earned only $3.5 million from a budget of $44 million, and as a result, most upcoming projects by United Artists were at risk of being canceled. After this setback and screenwriter William Goldman deciding to leave the film due to creative disagreements with Kaufman, United Artists ultimately scrapped the project.

Over time, The Ladd Company came to trust the project and agreed to fund the movie, with Warner Bros overseeing it. During pre-production, Kaufman aimed for maximum realism, so actual planes were used for certain scenes along with scale models. Unfortunately, the film faced criticism due to some historical inaccuracies, particularly those related to the character of Gus Grissom (portrayed by Ward), whose depiction in the movie was disputed by real-life astronauts.

Despite earning over $21 million at the U.S. box office, “The Right Stuff” failed to meet expectations due to its $27 million production cost. This disappointing outcome proved to be the final blow for The Ladd Company, which had previously produced the 1984 hit movie “Police Academy”. Unfortunately, by this point, it was too late to save the company as it ceased its production activities shortly after that.

‘The Right Stuff’ Failed at the Box Office, But It Was Critically Acclaimed

Despite facing challenges during production (a stuntman tragically passed away while executing an action sequence) and a modest performance at the box office, The Right Stuff was lauded by critics. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert bestowed four stars upon it, and today, it boasts an impressive 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

At the Oscars, the movie earned eight nominations, one of which was for Best Picture. It triumphed in several areas: Best Film Editing, Best Original Score by Bill Conti, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing. Despite Star Wars: Return of the Jedi being a strong contender in the technical categories, The Right Stuff edged out the space epic in three of those categories. However, the Star Wars sequel was honored with a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects.

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2025-06-02 23:02