The Astronaut Farmer is a charming, inspirational drama that successfully avoids modern cinematic cliches while appealing to the optimistic dreamer in all of us.
The Astronaut Farmer is a charming, inspirational drama that successfully avoids modern cinematic cliches while appealing to the optimistic dreamer in all of us.
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Average Rating: 3/5
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An aspiring astronaut who was forced to forsake his dream of exploring space in order to save the family farm begins building his own personal rocket as a means of reaching the stars in this quirky rural drama starring Billy Bob Thornton. There once was a time when Charlie Farmer (Thornton) seemed like a shoo-in for NASA's esteemed astronaut training program. An Air Force pilot who held a degree in aerospace engineering, Charlie was well on his way to blasting off when a family crisis grounded
his celestial aspirations. Of course, Charlie's feet may be firmly planted on terra firma these days, but his thoughts are constantly ascending into the clouds and beyond. It's been ten long years since the man who would navigate the stars began tending to the family farm, and during that time, Charlie has dedicated every moment of his spare time to building the rocket that will one day launch him into space. Though his devoted wife, Audie (Virginia Madsen), the pair's three children, Sunshine, Stanley, and Shepard, and even his father-in-law, Hal (Bruce Dern), all support Charlie in achieving his lifelong goal of becoming the nation's first independent astronaut, a last-minute hitch on the eve before the big launch unexpectedly stalls Charlie's countdown. It seems that Charlie's quest to obtain a substantial amount of high-grade rocket fuel has attracted the attention of not only the FBI, but the CIA, the FAA, and the United States military as well. Now, as the powers that be attempt to ground Charlie, citing concerns for civilian safety, a media frenzy descends upon the once-quiet farm as the reluctant renegade hero vows to show his children just how far one's courage and willingness to pursue one's own ideals can get a person when one refuses to give up hope. Northfork writing/directing duo Mark and Michael Polish team up to tell the tale of a man considered an oddity by his neighbors, a criminal by the government, and an inspiration by the media and the people. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
You either roll with the hokum or you don't. If you do, the essential message of realizing your dreams flies as well as Jimmy Stewart's angel wings. If you don't, reality is as close as the nearest window.
The Astronaut Farmer's goofy quality makes it totally endearing. It's also super entertaining. Critics are fond of referring to movies as a 'great ride.' With this one, the words couldn't be more apt.
Filled with lovely images (the opening credit sequence, of Charlie in his spacesuit, riding the range on horseback, is a beaut) and nice character turns, The Astronaut Farmer nonetheless veers too close to cliche.
I was content to go along for the ride with this excellently cast labor of love -- which shows just how much you can accomplish with $12 million and more imagination than most big-studio re leases can muster these days.
It's hard not to like a movie so determined to make you feel the love of a family, to make you feel that every dream can become a reality and that every mortgage can be rescued by the sudden death of a family member and his inheritance.
The Astronaut Farmer is one of those movies that you don't believe for a moment while you're watching it, but you leave with a warm glow. But by the time you've driven home, you realize you've been conned.
We should be routing for Farmer and delighted that his dreams are finally becoming a reality, but, instead, the implausibility of the whole thing, the sheer Disneyification of its premise, the Capra-corn nature of its "follow your dreams and never, ever q
An endearing and entertaining aspirational movie straight from the heart of the American dream: you can do or be anything you set your heart on. President or astronaut, it's your right.
A barely believable flight of fancy that's fun the whole family, provided you're willing to buy its cartoon astrophysics and cops who can't figure out a way to prevent a loose cannon from catapulting himself skyward at a rate in excess of escape velocity.
How much you're going to like this gentle, whimsical family film may depend upon how much you can suspend your disbelief and accept it as a metaphorical fantasy.
While it is far too long, especially in the home stretch, The Astronaut Farmer is a heartwarming and fun story about the tenacity it takes to see a dream through.
The filmmakers reveal a keen eye for oddities in the American landscape be it a pair of conjoined twins trying to look normal, a huge ark sitting in the middle of a Montana town or a rocket nestled in a barn.
It earns emotion because Farmer's arguments with the F.A.A. and his own wife appeal to basic hopes of liberty - belief that dreaming doesn't have to end with adulthood.
This movie was silly--okay, stupid--a lot of times. I wouldn't recommend it.
August 12, 2011
Alexander Diminiano
Super Reviewer
The Astronaut Farmer is the fictional story of a former NASA astronaut who builds his own rocket to travel in space. The film follows the same feel good formula that many other films have taken, and the results are somewhat mixed. The film is average and can almost be seen as recycled ideas from previous films dealing
with achieving the impossible. Obviously the character building his rocket will have obstacles to overcome and there'll be a period where he'll just want to give up, but he's encouraged to continue. The feds get involved because they believe that Charles Farmer is building a WMD in his barn. He faces the feds, skeptical neighbors, but he'll prove them wrong. Astronaut Farmer is typical of the feel good film. The film is good to watch, but it doesn't do anything new or original with the script. The Astronaut Farmer is a good film to watch with your family. Unfortunately the film is flawed and at times the film feels a bit stupid in it's dialogue delivery. Some parts made me cringe. The Astronaut Farmer is an average feel good film with decent acting, and average plot. However it's clear that the script suffers, and the full potential of this picture is strained and has yet to realized. Good, but not great. The thing with this film is that they were plenty of opportunities to craft something pretty good, but the filmmakers decided to recycle old ideas, and at times the film feels rushed. Still decent entertainment.
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