Spoilers · the ending
The Right Stuff: the ending, explained
Philip Kaufman · 1983
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
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Spoilers · the ending
Philip Kaufman · 1983
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
What happens
Gordon Cooper's flight, the last Mercury mission, goes well. Back in the desert, Yeager pushes a jet to extreme altitude and survives a violent ejection. The film closes by honouring both groups, putting the astronauts and the test pilots on equal footing.
The last image
The film closes on a tribute to both the astronauts and the test pilots, the quieter kind of courage given the same weight as the famous kind.
What it says
The ending refuses to choose between its two kinds of hero. Yeager's solitary danger balances the managed publicity, so the film honours courage while still questioning how legends are made. It even makes a few legends of its own.