Covering some 15 years, this film recounts the formation of America’s space program, concentrating on the original Mercury astronauts. The film relates the dangers and frustrations facing the astronauts, the various personal crises involving their families, and the schism between their squeaky-clean public image and their sometimes raunchy, earthbound shenanigans.

• The Right Stuff
• Sam Shepard
• Scott Glenn
• Ed Harris
• Philip Kaufman