A couple years ago there was a TV movie "Rocket's Red Glare" about a teenage boy and his Uncle, a former astronaut who never reached space, healing each other's wounds by building a rocket on their farm. I believe the Mercury capsule used in "The Astronaut Farmer" was the same prop used in the earlier production. Billy Bob Thornton shines as Charles Farmer, a former military man who gave up his chance for space following a family tragedy. Haunted by the loss of his dream of space, he has spent years building a rocket in his barn. His efforts have brought him to the edge of bankruptcy and also the attention of the government, who want to stop his planned launch, especially, in this time of terrorism and it's fears. Slow in spots, but held together by the twin performances of Thornton and Virginia Madsen as his wife Audrey, who come to realize Farmer's consuming dream of space was not destroying their family, but, bringing them closer together. Not spoiling anything, but, there comes a scene when it's revealed the dream of space was not just the Farmer family's. It's a nice moment and to me, the very heart of the film. The Astronaut Farmer is not as good as it could have been. It won't appeal to everybody. A slightly faster pace and more humor could have lightened the sometimes heavy mood and had the audience cheering instead of clapping at the end.
Review of The Astronaut Farmer
