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The Astronaut Farmer: Frank's take
04/03/2007 . Source: Frank Ochieng 
There's something that can be said for innocuous family fare that embraces its inspiration with notable fortitude, thinks Frank. Whimsical films about reaching impossible dreams or existing in worlds where anything imaginable can overwhelm the mind is something that cosy-minded cinema loves to convey. In writer-director Michael Polish's NASA-driven narrative The Astronaut Farmer, the mawkish sentiments are displayed on the launching pad. Unfortunately, the treacle-induced tendencies are unfocused as a high concept adventure for schmaltzy consideration. Buy The Astronaut Farmer in the USA - or Buy The Astronaut Farmer in the UK  Polish (Twin Falls Idaho) and co-writer twin sibling Mark oversees this cornball concoction with the best of intentions. However, The Astronaut Farmer never seems to rise above its melodramatic mediocrity as an uplifting tearjerker. Polish's story is the typical feel-good saga full of promise and high-spiritedness. It's too bad that it takes a mess of rocket fuel to spark The Astronaut Farmer beyond its sugary surrealism. Although idealistic and emotional in its soul-searching, the Polish Brothers' storytelling is about as credible as the moon being made out of Swiss cheese. One can make an argument for the movie's far-fetched premise as being the impetus for escapist entertainment but the saccharine-coated platitudes undermines the soulful aftertaste.
The premise tells the tale of Texas ranch owner Charles Farmer (Billy Boy Thornton), a former NASA candidate and bona fide "space cowboy" if you will. Due to personal reasons, Farmer is ousted from the space program. As added food for thought, an interesting titbit comes to focus in reference to Charles Farmer's state of mind. Specifically, is Farmer as nutty as an Almond candy bar? Is this man's reality as bumpy as a crater's surface? Maybe we're being too judgmental because the set-up is for us to believe in this dreamer's goals no matter how outlandish or motivating it is to him or his supporters and distracters.
Nevertheless, Farmer is determined to not let go of his ambition to "reach for the stars" even though his NASA ties have been broken. His peculiar antics are in question and why shouldn't they be after all? The man rides on horseback while wearing his spacesuit as he rounds up his cattle. More important, Farmer's fleeting sanity takes a toll on his tolerant loving wife Audie (Virginia Madsen, "The Number 23") and their children in a techno-geek son (Max Thieriot) and young daughters (Jasper and Logan Polish). Still Farmer's family sticks by him even though the rest of the world thinks a few screws are missing from this delusional character's rocket booster.
Farmer's pet project is hatched after several years-he constructs a rocket in his barn. This obsession causes some notable friction-financial and psychological-but Farmer is ready to test his man-made contraption after going though the rigorous motions. When the scuttlebutt is spread wide about Farmer's intentions to shoot for the galaxy via his self-imposed space-aged agenda the media coverage overtakes the small Texan territory where this unlikely event is about to be launched (no pun intended). Suddenly, FAA officials and other observers consider the eccentric Charles Farmer a newsworthy commodity.
The Astronaut Farmer is cheeky and warm-hearted when the drama serves as a study for a disillusioned man trying to piece together his puzzle of disenchantment. Thornton is invigorating as an oddball with an impassioned purpose to be rescued by his own version of an excitable countdown for mental takeoff. The message about never giving up your expectations no matter how improbable is indeed fearless and frothy. In terms of depth in the plot concerning the space-driven theatrics, the movie becomes unintentionally laughable. We cheer for this rocket man's quirky and oddly disciplined demeanour. Somehow, though, we're never really quite convinced that this fluffy fantasy can get its tepid trappings out of the clouds.
As the Capra-esque protagonist, Thornton's Farmer is an amiable prototype that represents the underlying frustrations of hard-working underdogs trying to catch a break at any cost. Refreshingly, Thornton chose to abandon briefly his foul-mouthed roles he plays so effortlessly with feisty abandonment. Madsens's turn supporting as the "stand by your man" beauty hardly can be considered challenging for an actress that's capable of more jolting within these sappy proceedings.
Bruce Dern is passable as Farmer's gruff and sceptical father-in-law. Reliable character actor Tim Blake Nelson plays an attorney trying to conquer the naysayers and troublesome governmental hacks. Jon Gries (Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite") hams it up as the resident FBI agent. Truth be told is that the majority of supporting players are wasted in their portrayals and aren't given that much rope to impact the sweet-toothed storylines. Some may even appreciate Thornton's celestial reunion with a cameo by his 1998 Armageddon co-star Bruce Willis.
The small town homilies and innocence of The Astronaut Farmer may be appealing for PG-rated pundits. It's a shame that the sky's limit is applied to this heart-filled hokum that could have been so heuristic in its happy-go-lucky momentum.
Frank Ochieng
(c) Frank Ochieng 2007
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