The Astronaut Farmer
This film appears on the surface to be a heartwarming drama based on a true story about a man with a crazy dream who then, of course, succeeds. What it actually is, well…it’s not basedon a true story, making it an extremely contrived premise (more so than a normal fiction). It has plot devices that suck all the warmth out of the premise, and it kind of feels as if it doesn’t care if you’re in the audience or not.
Billy Bob Thornton plays a rancher (named Farmer) who wants to launch himself into space in a home-built rocket. He does have some of the credentials, he’s not “just a rancher.” As one who lives with someone who wants to build his own plane, I know these people exist. It’s a fun story idea for certain – just imagine all the wacky trials and failures, the challenges in convincing folks to believe in you. When we join the story, the thing is almost done, his family is wildly in love with the idea, and he just has to get around some “only in Hollywood” government bureaucrats. (A feat achieved quite often in situations like these, I am told by the aforementioned latent plane-builder.)
Opportunities to espouse a libertarian approach to the story, like, “who am I threatening with my dream,” or a psychological approach like, “how much should anyone sacrifice for love?” are squandered left and right. He’s a bona-fide fighter pilot and aeronautical engineer (luckily for him), and he’s best friends with his loan officer. (Whew!) In addition, his family apparently has no other needs beyond supporting his selfish, masturbatory space fantasy – perfect teeth, nice clothes, good home, all the trimmings.
The film is amusing insofar as there are great side commentaries about the fickleness of the press and the hilarious antics of a media frenzy with a cockamamie flavor of the month to roast. There is a stab at promoting the old frontier can-do spirit that made America great. Bruce Willis even pops in to remind us how great his chemistry with Thornton is. Billy Bob Thornton is the perfect - the only - casting choice for this guy – supremely self-confident, sincere, independent, well-spoken, and definitely totally bat-squeeze insane in a lovable but terrifying way. And the photography! Loving sunset silhouettes, drastic Wellesian perspective shots, blazing desert colors. It’s a lovely film to watch.
Overall, however, the movie is pat, mostly predictable, and (unlike the similarly accused Pursuit of Happyness), a total contrived work of fiction engineered to feel like an inspiring feel-goodery. My aerospace engineer companion (a big dreamer himself) stood up at the end and declared that The Astronaut Farmer failed to suspend his disbelief. The tragedy there is in how willing we both were to accept certain things in pursuit of a great, romantic story idea. The performances weren’t lacking, only the story. I wish I could say better things about it but…I just can’t.
MPAA Rating PG
Release date 2/23/07
Time in minutes 104
Director Michael Polish
Studio Warner Brothers
