Sally is a new documentary set to premiere later tonight on National Geographic at 9/8c before it releases on Disney+ and Hulu tomorrow. Directed by Cristina Costantini, the film covers how Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure was a secret. Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied their 27 years together.

I couldn’t quite tell you what exactly compelled me to watch this film. Honestly, I saw the poster somewhere and with its vibrant colors, it caught my interest. I didn’t know anything about the titular character, but I figured I’d catch it at some point. When I was offered the opportunity to watch the film early, I decided to check it out myself. Needless to say, if you have access to National Geographic, Disney+, or Hulu, please check this one out.

I’ve been hearing rumors where streaming side, which is really interesting since that was not the case five years ago. I suppose it’s promising for theatrical movies. Could this have made an impact if it was released theatrically? I think so. Documentaries are not as popular as they should be, which sort of results in a short lived theatrical run. Since this will be more accessible to anyone who owns any of the three Disney services, I can only hope this catches more attention. It may not be immediate viewership, but I can see this playing well over the rest of the year. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Disney tried to submit this for some awards.

Like I mentioned before, I admittedly didn’t know anything about this person. Given what she did for her career field, I feel like is something we would have known about growing up. Today, it feels more normal for women or for others from diverse backgrounds to be something like an astronaut. Before Sally became one, that was not normal. Without her impact, the world might have looked very different today. It does make me wish the film may have gotten an expanded title like Sally colon and then insert expanded title, just so that way people can have a better idea as to why this documentary is so important. The poster kind of says it, but there is much more to the story here than her just being an astronaut.

All I knew before watching it is that this figure would be an astronaut. Not only did I know she passed away 13 years ago, I also did not know this person had a domestic relationship with someone named Tam O’Shaughnessy. Since Sally is no longer with us, O’Shaughnessy ends up filling the gaps of their relationship along with a few other people who speak on who Sally was. It ends up becoming a more meaningful movie that I think can speak to people interested in her career field and her personal life.

Since Sally passed away, the film can’t entirely rely on her narrative. The film does a great job of using archival footage of her to tell its story. With the film cutting back and forth, you can kind of understand what kind of structure it’s going for. The film is incredibly informative. Personally, I think it would have been cool to see this film be more straightforward as the interview bits are spoken over the archival footage from the start of her life to the end of her life. I think that would have helped the documentary stand out more.

Running at around 100-minutes, the film gets straight to the point without overstaying its welcome. I was completely engaged from start to finish. Sometimes, even a short documentary can wear out its welcome. I have noticed that when it comes to the documentary genre, it can feel longer for some reason. I didn’t feel that way at all.

By the time the film reaches its conclusion, you really get to see where Sally’s impact is still being felt today. Tam O’Shaughnessy makes sure her legacy lives on. I think between finding Sally so fascinating and knowing she passed away at a relatively young age, I was hoping for more. Maybe there’s more archival footage out there. While I am not in the science field, I can still admire what Sally did here. Without her contributions, I don’t think we would have seen the change we have seen today for the better.

Overall, Sally is a great documentary that tells the story of someone incredibly impactful to society. There’s a lot to learn here about someone who paved the way for we are today, but still had to hide a part of herself. The film is inspiring from start to finish. If you have access to National Geographic, check it out June 16th at 9/8c; otherwise, you can catch it on Disney+ and Hulu the following day.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)