The Astronaut Farmer is a 2006 film, and it’s a film about following your dreams first and foremost. Virginia Madsen seems to end up in a lot of these kinds of films I’ve noticed, or maybe there is just a lot more of these films than I realised.

Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) is a former Air Force Pilot and would be astronaut, he was enrolled in the space program with the military before being forced to pull out of it. Rather sadly it was after his Father commited suicide admist the growing debt the familes ranch and gotten itself into. This caused Charles to cancel his dreams and return home to save it.

He got to live a happy life with his wife, Audrey (Virignia Madsen), his son Shepard (Max Theirot), and two daughters, Stanley (Jasper Polish) and Sunshine (Logan Polish) – BUT, years later with the itch still bugging him Charles decides he’s going to build his own rocket in one of his Barns.

He manages to build a replica of the Murcury-Atlas rocket, and fair play to him, he pulls it off and gets it spaceworthy all on his lonesome.

It’s only when he starts asking around about how to get hold of some rocket fuel to power it that things start to come unstuck. The FBI and FAA get themselves involved, along with the public who show an interest in his project.
The Media latch on to Charles and his plans for his home made rocket and turn him into a sensation, much to the dismay of the aforementioned FBI and FAA.

Ultimately they decide that an ordinary hard working fellow like Charles can’t possibly give any ideas to the rest of the ordinary hard working folk and they tell Charles he can’t go ahead with his launch. Having sunk too much money into the whole thing for it not to work, Charles ultimately decides to stick it to the man and launch his rocket anyways.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd. Yeah. You’re going to have to watch it to see what actually happens. I’ve avoided spoiling other films and I’m not about to start with this one now.

Normally I would not like this kind of film. I don’t go in for sentimental films for the most part, but this one has a heart to it.

I also liked that Bruce Willis showed up in a cameo role. From the start I was reminded of Billy Bob Thorntons character in Armageddon where he played Dan Truman. a man who always wanted to goto space but couldn’t due to not being physically up to it. When Bruce turned up to give him the nod, yeah. Do approve.

Virginia Madsen’s part is that of the supportive wife, and as always she pulls it off admirably. I mean I wish she wasn’t playing this kind of role at this point in her career, but at least she’s obviously putting the effort in, probably because she was having such a good time on set.

Speaking with The AV Club in 2013 she’d rate The Astronaut Farmer as her most favourite film to work on to date, espeically working with Billy Bob Thornon;

“Because that was Billy Bob [Thornton], you know? And I like these guys. I like men who are real manly men. I like being around a lot of testosterone. But the real stuff. Not the misogynistic, self-conscious guys who don’t really have confidence but who are trying to pretend. Like, if they’re mean to women or demeaning to women, that somehow makes them manly? These kinds of men just make you feel at ease, because they like women. They’re not threatened by women, and they like them strong. And Billy Bob, I just completely fell in love with him. Granted, in that kind of safe actor way… [Laughs.]

But oh, I just love that man. He’s just one of my favorites ever to work with. We were in New Mexico, and we had these really cool artist twins who were our directors—the Polish brothers—and they had these little beautiful daughters who played our daughters in the movie. They weren’t professional actors, so they were lovely and sweet, and I got to play with them all day long and do arts and crafts. And I got to dance with Billy Bob Thornton! I mean, God, how much better could it be? [Laughs.]”

Would I recommend this one? Well, normally, no – But as i said – This one has heart and it’s worth a watch. I think if it’d been anyone else but Billy Bob Thornton doing his earnest American Hero thing then it might have been a different story, but. Yeah this one works.

Availability:

You practically trip over copies looking on eBay and other online stores.

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