A Major Disappointment

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It's clear a lot of critics don't know what to make of this movie. It's best described as mostly a fantasy with naturalistic elements. The emotions are real, they are strong, and the film is always grounded in the earth. But you are never quite sure where it is going. It will veer into farce, then melodrama, then social commentary, and back again. It seems to be taking place in the present day, yet not quite: the sensibilities are from the 60s, the entrepreneurial we-can-do-it spirit from the 80s, and the despair from the 00s. It is strange, and it is dreamlike, and at times it seems to barely make sense, but it all works. The audience I was with was enthralled and almost all of them stayed through the end of the credits -- a good sign indeed.I can imagine what the high-concept presentation must have been like: "It's just your typical save-the-farm family drama, only dad is a . . ." "Don't tell me. A space alien," yawns the studio-head."Well, close, but not quite. He's a former astronaut who may be a nut case, we're never quite sure." The studio-head is a little more interested. "And he;s planning to blow up the world?" "No, though a lot of people think he is."

..and no kidding about that. I do not care that it technically was a financial flop. Some movies are just too good, and I truly mean that, to strike a universal chord with the general public. This is one of them.Strikingly shot, the entire movie glows visually, helped by the starkly desolate beauty of New Mexico. Yes, it is preposterous, per the premise that one can build a functional rocket in ones' barn, but if we discounted movies with far fetched plots, at least half would qualify, including such greats as "Wizard of Oz" and any based on fantasy, let alone sci-fi. The movie itself is so heartwarming, a family movie without the cloyingness of most family movies. Simply put, the faith/love of a family backing up the Don Quitote dream of a tinkerer father, in this case a tinkerer who builds rockets in his yard, planning to create his own manned mission into space. I truly think the movie was perfect in every sense, from the screen writing to the acting to the verisimilitude of the media coverage, including the great Jay Leno interviews. Just a wonderful little masterpiece, that hopefully will find the attention it deserves on video one day, ala the way Shawshank Redemption was "redeemed"!A true pleasure to watch this. One of the most heartwarming pictures I've ever seen. Precious....truly...

I wanted to like this movie, and it caught my attention at the beginning... but as the movie devolved into trite, feel-good, sentimental mush I went from enjoyment to frustration.I know people will say this is a family film, but I like my family to have good role models - not some dreamer who pursues his desires at all expenses. Yes it is important to pursue your dreams, but when you start a family and need to be there for a wife & three children, you don't gamble everything on a foolhardy mission likely to kill you. That's not admirable, it's not responsible... it's selfish.So the core message is white-washed, and then you get other junk messages like throwing a brick through a window is okay if you were angry and you apologize later, ... and promiscuity is okay in your teens (when Charles reminds the shrink he asked her "to go to the moon with him" and she said that was just about getting laid.) The acting wasn't bad, but the music was bland (cue "We Did It" music, cue "We're going through a rough time" music, etc.) . My initial thought was that this movie might be okay for my 10-year old... but the more I thought about the messages and the annoyances, I don't think so.

'The Astronaut Farmer' is completely corny and wildly implausible to boot, but I still liked it. Billy Bob Thornton does well as an ex-astronaut who builds a rocket in his barn(!) This may sound like the perfect recipe for a comedy but, the film is utterly serious. Children will love its message about striving hard to follow one's dreams. It's a well-worn message but still manages to work although a HUGE suspension of disbelief is necessary. JK Simmons excels in a brief role while Bruce Willis has a cameo. The film is a bit slow and slightly overlong, but worth watching.Overall 7/10