Sally
Sally
7.487%
Sally Ride's groundbreaking journey as the first American woman in space concealed a deeply personal story. Her life partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, unveils their covert 27-year romance and its accompanying sacrifices.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
“What will you do if something goes wrong while you’re up there? Will you start weeping?” That’s a real question a journalist asked Sally Ride before she became the first American woman in space. As Sally reminds us, the obstacles she faced weren’t just about breaking the stratosphere—they were about navigating the crushing weight of misogyny, both inside NASA and under the glare of the media. The footage of these press conferences is frankly, jaw-dropping, a surreal parade of absurdity that makes you want to scream. Ride handles it all with remarkable grace, but you can feel the sheer exhaustion of being forced to perform composure at every turn.
The documentary does a great job balancing the triumph of Ride’s achievements with the deeply personal struggles she kept hidden. It’s one thing to push past the barriers of a male-dominated field, but another entirely to do so while making the impossible choice to keep a part of yourself secret. The film explores her long-time relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy, and the heartbreaking reality that Ride, fearing the fallout of a society still hostile to LGBTQ+ identities, chose to remain publicly closeted for 27 years, until after her death in 2012. The contrast with Billie Jean King’s forced outing in 1981 makes it clear why she made that choice.
Even with its reverence for Ride, Sally doesn’t feel like a sanitized portrait. It’s celebratory, but it also acknowledges the immense pressure placed upon her and the emotional toll of becoming an icon. The archival footage is compelling, and the interviews—especially with O’Shaughnessy—give it a quiet emotional depth. It’s a poignant tribute to a woman who changed history, even if we didn’t know the full extent until after she passed.