I remember I saw The Right Stuff on a late night press screening while reviewing movies for my university magazine, and I found it hugely impressive.
Writer/director Philip Kaufman does a fine job weaving a coherent narrative out of the true story of early NASA test pilots leading up to John Glenn being the first man in orbit. He is helped enormously by a winning, heroic performance from Sam Shepherd as pilot Chuck Yeager, but there are many great performances throughout by soon-to-be-familiar actors such as Ed Harris and Dennis Quaid.
The Right Stuff is based on a factual book by Tom Wolfe and the movie generated some controversy by changing several key events and characterisations for dramatic effect, which attracted criticism from the surviving astronauts. Despite being nominated for 8 Oscars, the movie surprisingly bombed at the box office.
This is the UK press kit, including a lovely still of Shepherd and Barbara Hershey as his wife.