The Right Stuff is about the Mercury missions of course but uses Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier to set up the movie. This is important.
Before Yeager breaks the sound barrier he and his wife Glennis go horseback riding. In fact Chuck is chasing Glennis. This is a ritual the loving, sexy couple has played out many times before.
During the chase Yeager rides into a tree branch, falls from the horse, and breaks his arm. Of course he flies the next day.
Yeager is the conscience of the film. He represents America. Glennis represents...adventure, the unknown, risk and the importance thereof. In fact later in the movie Glennis says, 'If you ever stop chasing me I'll walk right out the front door.'
Interstellar has similar themes. The film opens in the dusty, farm belt. Cooper, a former astronaut is a farmer. Life and the nation have slowed. There is no adventure or space program. In fact a teacher tells Cooper's daughter that the Moon Shots were a hoax.
We'd like to draw attention to one of Interstellar's final scenes. Cooper is walking through the fighter bay of Cooper Station (named for his daughter who solved the riddle of gravity). In the background is a row of single seat space ships and one sees a pair of pilots walking the line. The pilots are in space suits, each holds a helmet at his hip. They walk with swagger, confidence. These are old fashioned fighter jocks...like Chuck Yeager. They have the right stuff.
