Review: Sally “A rich portrait of the late astronaut and physicist’s life”

This moving documentary explores the troubled life of America’s first female astronaut

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Director Cristina Costantini | Streaming Disney+ / Hulu | Released Out now

On 16 June 1963, Russian Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into outer space. Almost exactly 20 years later on 8 June 1983, Sally Ride made headlines as the first American woman to take a rocket to the heavens.

However, Ride’s journey was not an easy one, having to overcome sexism, misogyny and homophobia. A closeted queer woman, she kept her relationship with female tennis-pro and scientist Tam O’Shaughnessy secret for 27 years. 

Now, Ride is the focus of a new documentary produced and directed by Cristina Constantini, who has previously directed episodes of the documentary series The Stanford Prison Experiment and Science Fair and a number of feature-length projects. At the heart of the film are two themes: Ride’s journey to becoming the first American female astronaut and her tumultuous personal life and relationships.

Through these themes, Costantini explores the sexism Ride personally faced, the wider misogyny within NASA itself and how American society during the latter half of the 20th century as a whole perceived female astronauts.

Alongside this, Costantini also examines another prejudice Ride was subject to – homophobia. At times this can be distressing, such as one moment of archive footage featuring two young boys who, while laughing, suggest homosexuals should be shot. 

The true heart of the documentary is the deep dive it takes into Ride’s personal life, in particular her relationship with O’Shaughnessy. Throughout their relationship, Ride remained closeted for fear of what the consequences would be for both her and her loved ones.

This is of little surprise, particularly when the documentary showcases the vile treatment she had previously received at the hands of the media.  

The documentary includes a large number of contributors, among them Ride’s fellow astronaut Mike Mullane, ex-husband Steve Hawley and former tennis champion Billie Jean King, a friend who faced difficulties of her own when publicly outed as being in a lesbian relationship.

O’Shaughnessy is one of the  major figures in the documentary and the sections in which she discusses her love for, and life with, Ride are incredibly moving. A surprising interviewee is Ride’s 100-year-old mother, who seems uncomfortable and is featured very little.

Alongside the interviews there is also a fascinating collection of archive footage, including a clip where Ride diligently handles a series of increasingly impertinent questions during a press conference.

To illustrate more abstract concepts, Constantini and her team draw from a wide range of sources. For example, when demonstrating the perceived attitudes towards female astronauts they showcase clips of fainting, screaming women in outer space from a number of 1950s B-Movies. 

Sally is a powerful and emotional biographical documentary that never outstays its welcome, which with a runtime of 105 minutes is no easy feat. It presents a rich portrait of the late astronaut and physicist’s life, never shying away from tackling difficult subject matter. It’s perfect for viewers unfamiliar with her story and those already aware of her legacy, Sally comes highly recommended.