The Astronaut Farmer (2006)

A NASA astronaut, forced to retire years earlier so he could save his family farm, has never given up his dream of space travel and looks to build his own rocket, despite the government's threats to stop him.

Director:

Michael Polish

Writers:

Mark Polish, Michael Polish

Stars:

Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Charles Farmer
Virginia Madsen	...	Audrey 'Audie' Farmer
Max Thieriot	...	Shepard Farmer
Jasper Polish	...	Stanley Farmer
Logan Polish	...	Sunshine Farmer
Bruce Dern	...	Hal
Mark Polish	...	FBI Agent Mathis
Jon Gries	...	FBI Agent Killbourne
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Kevin Munchak
Sal Lopez	...	Pepe Garcia
J.K. Simmons	...	Jacobson
Kiersten Warren	...	Phyllis
Rick Overton	...	Arnold 'Arnie' Millard
Richard Edson	...	Chopper Miller
Elise Eberle	...	Madison Roberts

Storyline

Texan Charles Farmer left the Air Force as a young man to save the family ranch when his dad died. Like most American ranchers, he owes his bank. Unlike most, he's an astrophysicist with a rocket in his barn - one he's built and wants to take into space. It's his dream. The FBI puts him under surveillance when he tries to buy rocket fuel; the FAA stalls him when he files a flight plan - it's post-9/11, after all. His wife is angry when she finds out their bank is initiating foreclosure. Charlie fears failure and decides, precipitously, to launch. Are twenty-first century American dreams just a sign of insanity? Are those who believe in dreamers only fools?

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Plot Keywords:

surname in title | rocket | bank | fbi | space travel | 

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Taglines:

If we don't have our dreams, we have nothing.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material, peril and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Charles Farmer asks the employee of Dunkin Dounts for advertising on his rocket, the shot shows Farmer in front of a large glass window in front of a graveyard with a short chain link fence around it. The shot of the employee is the inside of the real Dunkin Donuts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The graveyard in the shot is a real graveyard with graves dating back to roughly 1910, and is behind the Dunkin Donuts.

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Goofs

After Farmer first meets with Mrs. Good, they walk down a school corridor and have a conversation, at which time they pass the same raised and broken ceiling tiles twice.

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Quotes

Charles Farmer: What makes you think your dad would wear a pink turtleneck?
Audrey 'Audie' Farmer: The color is salmon.
Charles Farmer: That's the color on the inside of a salmon. I don't think a fish would wear that color on the outside.

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Crazy Credits

During the credits, an interview on The Tonight Show is shown between Farmer and Jay Leno. Pictures play during the credits as well.

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Connections

Referenced in HypaSpace: Episode #6.25 (2007)

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Soundtracks

List of Reasons
Written and Performed by Dale Watson
Courtesy of Truckstop Mall Records

User Reviews

Can't quite lift off

I received free passes to an advance screening of Astronaut Farmer and figured, "what the hell, free movie in advance. I'll take it." I proceeded to the theater, which was packed with children and adults of all ages. I settled into my seat and let the magic begin.

Astronaut Farmer is the story of Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thorton), a man who used to work for the military, but was forced to retire to save his family farm. He dreams about going into the inky blackness of space, a place he has aspired to reach for a long time. So he sets out building a rocket in his backyard, which soon draws the attention of NASA, FAA, FBI, CIA, and the press.

When you go into Astronaut Farmer, be prepared to throw the laws of physics and logic out the window, as this one tries to be real, but suffers from a few flaws. First, the rocket is built in Billy's garage, which is made of timber. Timber would incinerate immediately on take off. Good idea? NO! The movie also pulls out the cliché handbook and takes an example from every chapter. The looming bad guys, the goofy sidekicks, the bank's foreclosures, the family tension, failing now and succeeding later, and poor jokes. The movie is entertaining enough, but there's something wrong with a movie that's 100 minutes and feels like 2+ hours.

Would I have purchased tickets to see this? No, but I probably would rent it on DVD. It is a good film for the family though, so on that level I'd say see it (the movie is rated PG). Or just wait until it comes to DVD and rent it for the family then. Fun movie, but only worthwhile in a family environment.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Astronaut Farmer

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,454,319, 25 February 2007

Gross USA:

$11,003,643

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,130,889

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Spring Creek Pictures, Polish Brothers Construction

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1