The Astronaut Farmer Parent Guide

If you think your husband has a hobby that takes up way too much time and money, you’ll be relieved you’re not married to Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton). He’s not fixing up an old Chevy out back in his dilapidated wood barn, but instead is constructing a rocket! The do-it-yourself project is an attempt to fulfill a lifelong ambition that got waylaid when he was discharged years earlier from a military astronaut-training program.

His wife Audrey (Virginia Madsen) has reservations, and not for a window seat. While she is doing her best to support her man’s dreams, she is also worried about the myriad of consequences that follow having a literal space case on her hands. The activity has left their family hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and there’s a chance her husband may actually light the engines (assuming he can get the necessary fuel past federal enforcement agents) and put his life in extreme danger.

The hazardous combustibles are only one of many reasons various government agencies are trying to keep this guy firmly planted on the ground. Even his old army buddy (played by an uncredited Bruce Willis) tells him NASA would take a public relations dent if any old farmer could go into orbit. But, like all good movie heroes, resistance only makes Farmer’s resolve stronger. With his 15-year-old son Shepard (Max Thieriot) manning mission control from an Airstream trailer, the space cowboy is prepared to ignite the flames that will either launch him into the heights of celestial celebrity or plunge him to the depths of devastating disaster.

Mark and Michael Polish, the twin brothers who made this film, have become known for breaking rules in traditional cinema, and this title is no exception. An offbeat pacing makes the production feel longer than it is. It’s also difficult to pigeonhole—one moment it’s a comedy, and the next it’s a drama about a woman who is frantically trying to determine if her husband is an inspired visionary or suffering from a mental condition. These tensions mount during an argument over dinner, which results in raised voices, a thrown plate of food, and kids scurrying for cover.

Such serious situations, along with some mild profanities, scatological expletives, and a crude term for sex, create a surprising amount of content concerns when compared to other movies that have received a PG rating over the past few years. Parents who have seen previews for this film may be expecting a whimsical family story. While the plot and some inspiring messages are certainly compelling, there are still many very adult oriented moments that may be good reason to leave preteens at home before blasting off to see this Astronaut Farmer.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.