A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: The Astronaut Farmer

Date Viewed: 3/4/07

Details:

Billy Bob Thornton

Virginia Madsen

Max Thieriot

Jasper Polish

Logan Polish

Bruce Dern

Bruce Willis

Director: Michael Polish

Score: +

The Review: Quiet character study of an aerospace engineer turned astronaut turned farmer turned astronaut. The title has an embedded pun that will click sometime during the movie.

Thornton is quite good as the laconic, occasionally goofy astronaut program drop-out who has decided to exercise his engineering training and build, in his barn, an Atlas-like launch vehicle and Mercury-like capsule, with full intent to be the first private citizen to ride into orbit on proven technology. Most of the town-folk don't take him seriously, but most of them have not looked into his barn. His family is supportive (wife by Madsen), even if they don't really believe he's ever going to push the button. There are some not insignificant financial woes, but they don't seem to stop him. He's filed a flight plan and followed all the correct channels, but the shit hits the fan when he tries to order ten thousand gallons of rocket fuel.

Uncredited cameo by Bruce Willis.

(11-Mar-07)

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