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« Cheney and Pelosi trade jabs--Point: Cheney | Main | Traffic Laws Can Kill » February 26, 2007Movie Review: The Astronaut Farmer"The Astronaut Farmer" can be aptly summarized as a cross between "Field of Dreams" and "Apollo 13." In this film, Charles Farmer is a dropout from the NASA astronaut program who has continued to pursue his dream of traveling through space by building a rocket in his barn. While nearly everyone else he encounters is either actively opposing his effort or trying to counsel him to give up, his family supports his dream and has made it their own. Farmer is a model of perseverance, and it seems that he will either make it into space or die trying. The idea of a man of modest means building a working 1960's-era rocket seems to strain credibility, but because the actual building of the rocket is not a focus of the film, this is easily overlooked. Instead, much of the focus is on his interaction with government agencies such as the FBI and the FAA. During this act, the film takes a couple quick lefty political shots, but these are not egregious enough to be distracting. Moreover, the overarching theme of a determined individual overcoming bureaucratic government opposition will resound with conservative moviegoers. Overall, this movie is a gem, and will be remembered as one of the best "family films" of this year. Yet, as another reviewer has noted, there is enough "difficult" content in this PG-rated movie (family conflict, an accident that leaves Farmer bloodied, and some profanity) that parents should exercise caution with younger children. Nevertheless, the real strength of this movie is in the portrayal of how the Farmer family sticks together and loves each other through the bad as well as the good. Grade: B+ Posted by Eric Seymour at February 26, 2007 08:51 AM CommentsThe previews made this look like a C- movie, so it's either better than I expected or you're a generous reviewer. Posted by: Joshua Claybourn at February 26, 2007 09:17 AM | permalink It has a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so given the "curve" on that site, I think I'm not overly generous. I agree that the movie trailers didn't do it justice. Posted by: Eric Seymour at February 26, 2007 09:54 AM | permalink I'd suggest you skip this one and instead rent FF Coppola's wonderful "Tucker: The Man and his Dreams," from 1988, about a guy who tried to challenge the Detroit automotive industry by manufacturing his visionary car, the 1948 "Tucker Torpedo." Posted by: JohnS at February 26, 2007 11:59 AM | permalink Post a comment |
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