Astronaut Farmer

From childhood, Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) had only one goal: to be an astronaut. He earned his aerospace engineering degree and became an Air Force pilot, on his way to NASA’s astronaut training program when a family situation forced him to return home, ending his career. Not letting anything stand in the way of his dream, he spent the next decade and every cent building his own rocket in his barn, working toward the day when he could triumphantly launch it into space. By himself.

A Family Film

Take the family and go see The Astronaut Farmer. Although it received a PG rating for thematic material, peril and language, I found nothing offensive about this movie.

Admittedly, the movie stretches belief quite a bit (Nothing like the 1979 Andy Griffith movie, Salvage, though), but it captures the current sense of privatization, which is building a new space age industry.

At its heart, this movie is all about not giving up on your dreams. Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) is a man with a dream, and he lets nothing stand in his way.

Not the only dreamer, Charles's family also shares his vision, including wife Audie (Virginia Madsen) and their children; daughters Sunshine (Logan Polish) and Stanley (Jasper Polish), and 15-year-old Shepard (Max Thieriot). Even his father-in-law, Hal (played by screen legend, Bruce Dern), is supportive. A favorite scene of mine had Hal telling Charles that he's a great father, saying, "I couldn't even get my family to have dinner together. You've got yours dreaming together."

Hero or Lunatic?

Not everyone shares Farmer's vision, though.

There are the teachers at the local school, who believe he is just playing "dress-up" for the students. Another favorite scene of mine is when he pulls son Shepard out of class and tells a teacher, "You're just teaching him how to read history. I'm going to show him how to make it."

There's a banker, who says he's a friend, but still has to represent the bank's interests when Charles Farmer digs himself and his family deep into debt.

The real problems start when he tries to buy 10,000 pounds of high-grade rocket fuel, catching the attention of the FBI. Next, the FAA step in, after ignoring his earlier filed flight plans. Other arms of the government voice objections of their own, including the military in the form of astronaut, Colonel Masterson (Bruce Willis), an old family friend.

Suddenly, the Farmer family are under the microscope of international media. Charles is considered around the country as everything from renegade hero to dangerous lunatic.

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

Tension sets in at the Farmer home. Tempers flare and plates fly when Audie discovers how deeply in debt the family has sunk. Meanwhile, the arms of the government are tightening around Charles, and it's looking like he'll never reach Earth orbit.

I won't give away the entire story. I will say that it took me through an entire range of emotions, including a desire to stand and cheer in the theater.

My recommendation? Go see this film.

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