55
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumAfter teeny indies, this studio release retains the trademark love of warped American gothic that the Polishes share with David Lynch and the brothers Ethan and Joel Coen. But the unexpected streak of yearning sunniness -- the Spielbergian touch of boyhood dreams propelling a grown man -- gives The Astronaut Farmer a warmth that's new for them.
- 80L.A. WeeklyScott FoundasL.A. WeeklyScott FoundasThis is gloriously self-aware hokum, a fantasy movie that is, above all, about our need for fantasy and escapism -- and even our need for movies like The Astronaut Farmer -- to help us combat the depression and disappointments of the everyday.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe Astronaut Farmer is one of those movies that makes an audience want to cheer and clap.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterThe Astronaut Farmer, is goofy, wholesome and, well, sweet. Despite some droll humor and on-target political jabs delivered deadpan by a uniformly strong cast, "Astronaut" often is too corny for its own good; it could have used more of those zingy lines.
- 70VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThornton carries the film with relaxed authority, though the earnest tone doesn't let him explore the nuttier aspects of a character who, from any reasoned distance ought look more screwy than heroic. Madsen is radiant.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceThis movie works precisely because it's bereft of modern cinema's cynicism.
- 67Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenFans of the Polish brothers and fans of inspirational movies may all depart the theatre scratching their heads: The Astronaut Farmer is not exactly the movie any of these viewers expected to see. This is almost always a good thing – even if the movie is a deserved head-scratcher.
- 67The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasToo odd for a studio movie, too cornpone for the independent scene, The Astronaut Farmer finds its creators stuck awkwardly between worlds, making what amounts to a deep curiosity.
- 63Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsWobbles between its comic and dramatic concerns; even those who buy the film more wholeheartedly than I might consider the overall tone uncertain.
- 25Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerSome movies are so flagrantly awful that they achieve classic status. To this rarefied company we must now add The Astronaut Farmer.