‘Sally’ Review: Astronaut Sally Ride’s Life Partner Shares the Personal Saga of the Public Icon

Space was one of Sally Ride’s great loves. The National Geographic documentary, directed by Cristina Costantini, Introduces the other.

During one of the countless, often boneheaded interviews Sally Ride endured about her pioneering role in the United States space program, she schools a reporter on how to address her. “It’s Dr. Ride or Sally, but not Miss,” she says, flashing a smile that softened the lecture and much of director Cristina Costantini’s absorbing documentary the first American woman to go into space.

Throughout “Sally,” Costantini (“Science Fair”) leans into Ride’s face — the smile, the blue eyes, the moments of pensive regard — by closing in on archival images. Sometimes, she creates a palpable presence by linking footage with audio from interviews Ride gave during her lifetime.