The Astronaut Farmer (2006)

A NASA astronaut (Thornton), 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?

---

Plot Keywords:

rocket | bank | fbi | space travel | fuel | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material, peril and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Warner Bros. Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Astronaut Farmer

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,454,319, 25 February 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$10,996,440, 22 April 2007

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:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the movie Armageddon, Thornton's character plays a character that never got to go into outer space.

---

Goofs

When the rocket launches, incredibly, the wooden barn remains unburned. In a scene during the second launch, exhaust smoke can be seen coming out the bottom of the barn walls, so it's safe to assume Farmer has designed his barn to overcome the explosive nature of the launch.

---

Quotes

Arnold 'Arnie' Milan: You got bad credit, but, uh, you got great character.

---

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.

---

Connections

Referenced in Sicko (2007)

---

Soundtracks

Rocket Man
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Performed by Elton John
Courtesy of Mercury Records Limited
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Very uplifting and entertaining!

I just came back from an advanced screening of this film in Toronto and I really did not know what to expect. I had a free coupon for it and really had no idea what the film was about. Although being skeptical at first I must say that this is an amazing film. It's humorous, it's engaging, and in general a real feel-good movie, with solid performances by everyone including the child-actors. Even though the story may seem outrageous and unrealistic, the emotions evoked are completely genuine and make this film one of the greatest surprises for me this year. I definitely recommend this film for everyone as it demonstrates how dreams define who we are and should never die.