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4.5
Great movie! The movie is about family, dreams, and a small town. But the technology is amazingly reasonable. Gregg Easterbrook, in "Big Dumb Rocket," (Newsweek, Feb. 5, 1987) reported on aerospace companies willing and able to build inexpensive rocket boosters with off-the-shelf parts (which would have undercut rationale for the Shuttle).And now we have a number of wealthy investors building private rockets and space ships. Many private firms tried the get government permission (and private funding) to launch rockets and space stations through the 1980s and 1990s.But apart from the policy and technology debate on space launches, the movie is wonderful as a story. Heinlein's "The Man Who Sold the Moon" tells the story of advertising as the major revenue source for private space exploration.Lets have a sequel with the grown son, a software multimillionaire, funding a private trip to Mars! ([...] and [...] )I enjoyed Astronaut Farmer when I first saw it a couple years ago, and enjoyed it even more seeing it again. A lot of the film is about family and small-town America. People in town know each other, and have from childhood. Mom and dad love each other land love their kids. But in this story, dad has an unusual project...First of all, there is nothing outlandish about the technology claims (though we see a few improbably events in the movie). Space rockets like the Saturn V were always far less expensive that the Space Shuttle. I would argue that it would have been less expensive to actually launch a 1970s-era rocket than to make a movie about it (for one thing, astronauts are paid much less than well-known actors).Now we have four or five private space companies developing and launching rockets and space planes. They have enough money to develop and test cutting-edge space technologies. In Astronaut Farmer, off-the-shelf parts from rocket junk-yards are gathered for a much less expensive and lower-tech space launch.Private space launches were possible thirty years ago. David Gump's book "Space Enterprise: Beyond NASA," published in 1990, surveyed opportunities for private-sector space operations decades ago. A space launch using 1970s technology in 2006 is still rocket science, that is, it is still complicated and requires significant scientific and rocketry know-how. But the biggest challenge would have been in finding, testing and assembling the parts.Viewers less interested in arguments over private vs. government space travel have a wonderful family movie to enjoy (though with a handful of swear words). The performances seemed to me to be just right. The movie was rarely modern and "edgy" which was fine with me.Maybe Astronaut Farmer could be compared with "The Spirit of St. Louis" with Jimmy Stewart, a similar movie featuring a private individual assembling improbably technology in a barn and surprising and inspiring the world with it.Can't find it on my computer or anythingDon't get me wrong - despite his odd personal life I've always admired Thornton's ability as an actor - he is nothing if not talented but this little piece is a diamond in the rough and as Farmer he shines. Virginia Madsen's performance is nuanced and heartfelt. The child actors chosen as their children are each unique and believable - particularly "Shep" - a young man I hope we see more of. Bruce Dern - despite the brevity of his screen time - is his usual charming self. The movie is beautifully cast. The actors chosen to portray the odd lot of townspeople provide full-bodied character development and there's a small part by a big star that does nothing to take away from the rest of the cast. Without giving too much away, the bad guys aren't all that bad, and the good guys aren't perfect. Don't be disillusioned, however. This isn't a cookie cutter "feel-good" flick. The plot is utterly believable, the directing is top notch, and the execution - but for a few missteps - is engaging. It's a kind-hearted, makes-you-want-to-believe movie. I particularly liked a scene where Farmer meets a clip-board toting trespasser in his pasture. Watch for it - it's understated elegance. Here's hoping Thornton sticks to scripts with this kind of humanity instead of wasting his prodigious talents on drivel like Bad Santa.I’m a big Billy bob Thornton fan. Great movie.DVD has a split screen and is unwatchable. Couldn’t watch until today. It’ a copy of a copy of a copy… that’s been burned too many times. I thought I was getting an original, not this crap. Tell Paula Weinstein her video I spent money on was total garbage and would never buy anything from her again. PS her/my dvd now resides in the trash can.When averaging everything out. I give this movie a 4 star rating based on several criteria. first, the story line was a bit cheesy. The movie had an unbelievable kiddish feel to it. The strange feeling that the movie was taking place many years in the past, like an 1980s feel, yet clearly the automobiles were post millennia vehicles. Still, it was such a clean, family friendly, innocently entertaining film that I would say I just have to give it 4 stars because these types of family films just do not exist anymore.More than ten years ago I wrote a book about a dreamer. Tonight I watched a movie about one. I read all the reviews about this movie, both good and bad. This is a good movie.The key to enjoying this movie is believing in dreams. When John F. Kennedy first uttered those words about putting a man on the moon, many people thought he was crazy. His dream allowed Neil Armstrong to walk on the moon in 1969.NASA and the Russian space agency may have been the forefathers of space travel, but the future is in OUR hands and based on OUR dreams. That is one reason why there are fledging private space agencies now. No one government will ever lead us beyond the moon, to other planets and beyond. It will be the dreams, hard word and intelligence of the ordinary man and woman that will get us there. It is our destiny.Enjoy this movie for what it is; one man and one family's dreams of doing something extraordinary. Movies like this can inspire us to dream. That is what will pave our way into the future.In this low budget, but lovingly made movie, Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) is building a genuine, state of the art - real shiny, rocket ship, right in his own backyard. He's doing this because he's American; and one of the perks, is that he's allowed, and encouraged (to a point!) 'to follow his dream'. And indeed this is, Farmer's dream. He lives for his dream - to orbit the earth, and to really know what that experience feels like.Despite his 'all-American' get up and go enthusiasm - he is soon accused of very un-American activities, when he tries to buy umpteen thousand gallons of rocket fuel. The FBI get a little twitchy, and he soon has about forty cop cars, and ever more curious 'paps' to see whats really goin' on up there...Mom works as a partime waitress at a local diner - so whereas affording the 'kraft dinners' and and a few new 'duds' for the kids may not be too much of a problem, it's not too clear how they fund all the NASA type hardware, and the rest. Am I being really negative here?? Nah! it's fun, and there are some nice 'extras' on the DVD., with the unavoidable injection of BBT 'toilet humour', and including as always a surreal visit with the one and only - Karl Childers (Sling Blade!)a truly great family film! most people will really love the characters! If you ever grew up wanting to do something but never did then you will know how they feel in this film! Loads of ups and downs along the way in what is a really good story! Also I never really liked Billy Bob Thornton but he plays the part wonderfully! He draws you in and you just want him to do it! ill say it again... A GREAT film!We (unschooling family) liked the film because the dad really follows his dream and continues despite everyone thinking his crazy.There's also a warm family atmosphere where the father takes responsibility for being involved and involving his family.We loved the fathers attitude about school.Good family entertainment. Love the whole idea that one man could sent himself into space from his back yard when it takes millions and thousands of people normally to go into space.A beuatiful film, ideal for family viewing and at a good price.. All the family, including the children, thoroughly enjoyed it.
