Vol. 4, No. 8, August 2007
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DVD Review
The Astronaut Farmer Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen Directed by Michael Polish
If you’re looking for a gentle, amiable movie that the whole family can enjoy, then
The Astronaut Farmer will do the trick. This mild film stars Billy Bob Thornton as Charles Farmer, a former Air Force pilot and aerospace engineer who spends his days on his Texas ranch tinkering with an enormous rocket he has built in his barn. Charles has never given up on his dream to fly into outer space, an enterprise that involves his whole family. His 15-year-old son Shepard is in charge of the control center, while his two adorable daughters help out in superficial ways. Charles’ wife Audrey, deftly played by Virginia Madsen, offers loving support to her eccentric husband.
Everyone in the small Texas town knows Charles, and though they think he’s a bit wacky, they are mostly inspired by his aspirations and dreams. In what might be his most laid-back, lived-in performance, Billy Bob Thorton creates a likable, intelligent hero whose determination often overshadows his common sense. Charles has put everything he owns into his rocket, and is in threat of losing his land to the bank. To complicate matters, the FBI is watching him and the FAA won’t give him approval to take off. His only recourse is to go public, whereupon he becomes a media darling, a symbol of the great American spirit to succeed.
This is common fare for movie hokum—the subject of countless underdog stories that go out of their way to inspire. Shot like a Hallmark card full of sunsets and open prairie, the liesurely pace of
The Astronaut Farmer might turn some people off. But the movie is never clunky or heavy-handed. Director Michael Polish brings a light touch to movie naturalism, and the themes of family bonds and achieving one’s goals are effortlessly woven into the plot. Free of the noisy mayhem of most Hollywood blockbusters,
The Astronaut Farmer is a pleasant distraction.
