PalCinema Review: Sally

An excellent and intimate portrait of the first American woman who went to space

June 18, 2025

FILM: SALLY

DIRECTED BY: CRISTINA COSTANTINI

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

By Dan Pal

It’s Pride Month and there may be no better film to feel inspired and moved by then Sally, a new documentary about Sally Ride, the first American woman who traveled to space. Her life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy executive produced the film, which was directed with candor and intimacy by Cristina Costantini. Ride may not have ever come out during her time in this universe but her story is sensitively and respectfully told by those who knew her best. It’s a significant and historical film about the space program and one woman’s role within it.

Featuring archival footage stretching back to Ride playing tennis as a young woman to her later years as a spokesperson promoting science, the film leaves few details hidden. Costantini and O’Shaughnessy explore Ride’s very private life as she came from a family that didn’t express feelings very often. Prior to her death, she gave O’Shaughnessy her blessing to tell her story as she saw fit. There is voice over from Ride which originates from an unknown source so this isn’t only O’Shaughnessy’s perspective. In fact, there are interviews with Ride’s sister, journalists, fellow feminist Billie Jean King, and several others who discuss who Ride was as a person and an astronaut.

Sally traces Ride’s rise at NASA through other interviews with those who worked with her both in space and on land. It addresses the challenges she faced within the male dominated organization that comes across as pretty sexist during Ride’s time there in the 1970s and 80s. The film also includes footage from television series which illustrate just how society viewed the idea of women as astronauts (not very seriously) during the era before Ride’s time in space. Still, Ride rarely spoke out against NASA and spoke rather fondly about her experiences there. She comes across as a very pleasant, private, and intelligent woman during her interviews with television hosts who clearly wanted some dirt.

The hardest part of her life may have been keeping her relationship with O’Shaughnessy a secret. The film addresses the fears she had in being out especially as it might affect her high-profile career. Ride even married a man named Steve Hawley, who is also interviewed, during the peak of her time with NASA. Even though they divorced soon after, Ride decided to keep her life private. As such, there is not a lot of footage of Ride and O’Shaughnessy together. Instead there are a number of recreations of their early and later years together. These work very effectively as they offer enough suggested glimpses into what their life was like.

The film then is a portrait of a complex woman living during a time when gender roles were evolving, as was the public’s perceptions and changing attitudes toward women and homosexuality. In that sense, it is a powerful and historical document of a time of progress – something we can use right now. It’s also superbly produced making for an incredibly detailed, visually interesting, and inspiring film experience.

Sally Ride is a major figure we all should know. What she did helped generations of science enthusiasts, especially women, consider new career possibilities that were previously unavailable. Major kudos must be given to O’Shaughnessy and director Cristina Costantini for opening this story up to the world (and beyond.) It is a must-see.

Sally is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Were you familiar with Sally Ride’s story?

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