"The Astronaut Farmer" is the story of one man's attempt to launch a rocket into space out of his own backyard farm. It's an American tale of living in a fantasy world and going against all odds when the whole world won't believe in you. It should be uplifting, poignant, beautiful and inspirational as it portrays a man with a dream. Yet while Charlie Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) may succeed in his dreams of space travel, this film hardly takes flight.
Charlie lives with his wife, Audrey (Virginia Madsen), a waitress at the local diner, their teenage son, Shepard (Max Thieriot), and two younger daughters, Stanley (Jasper Polish) and Sunshine (Logan Polish). Yes, you read that right. The girls' names are Stanley and Sunshine. This is perhaps the first indication of the serious, avoidable flaws to come.
The family bonds together over their shared hopes and eventually the children even stay home from school to help build the rocket. Soon, however, problems arise as the Farmers run out of money and the local bank threatens foreclosure on their ranch. Also, FBI agents led by Jacobson (J.K. Simmons) show up to investigate Charlie as a threat to national security and seek to shut down the construction in his barn. Charlie is forced to turn to his local attorney, Kevin Munchak (Tim Blake Nelson), for help while the media descends like locusts and he struggles to succeed in keeping his rocket and family in order.
While the basic plotline has some potential, director Michael Polish does not have the experience to create a logical, flowing and emotionally moving flick. The first half is well-paced with the focus on Charlie's construction of his rocket and dedication to his goal of orbiting the Earth. However, after one failed attempt, "The Astronaut Farmer," like Charlie, gives it another whirl and this is really when it starts to go downhill.
The dramatic music is loud and overwhelming as it tries to create emotional tension where there is none. Normally, this tension would be thoroughly developed by a solid script and captivating acting. As for the former, brothers Mark and Michael Polish's script is weak due to its cheesy soliloquies, mostly about space and hope, and its overwrought dialogue, including such lines as "If we don't have our dreams, we have nothing," and, "Please don't break my heart."
It does break one's heart, however, to see poor Virginia Madsen deliver such lines when she has true talent, which is glimpsed here and seen in its entirety in "Sideways" (2004). Madsen does the best she can in "The Astronaut Farmer," but has no choice when it comes to her dialogue and ridiculously overly dramatic plate-throwing confrontation with Charlie when she finds out about the possible foreclosure.
Thornton acts well in comparison to most of his previous work and delivers a good portion of his scenes pensively. Only when he must truly show emotion, such as when he is discussing his deceased father, do his inabilities as an actor reveal themselves.
The supporting cast is quite good, with particularly impressive acting by Simmons, the newspaper editor from "Spider-Man" (2002), and Nelson, who first proved his chops in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000).
The most frustrating aspect of "The Astronaut Farmer" is the simply illogical nature of several scenes. For example, when the Farmers decide to give the rocket another chance, they somehow still possess enough materials for another rocket and another launch sequence. Why a man, drowning in mortgages and debt, would buy twice as many goods as needed for one launch is never truly addressed.
The biggest question of all involves an extended appearance by a well-known actor who is not billed during the opening credits. Want a clue? This A-list actor's trip to space in a 1998 movie didn't end as well Charlie Farmer's.
"The Astronaut Farmer" has a pleasant story and some fine acting that should have been part of an overall better picture, but sadly simply are not. The film was not thoroughly thought out and drags, even with a running time under two hours. The filmmakers seemed to try too hard to create a tearjerker, complete with death and melodramatic conversations.
They have forgotten about making a sensible piece of entertainment complete with character development and a fluid story arc. So while Charlie Farmer may accomplish what he sets out to do, the audience is left here on Earth, incapable of escaping this movie.
