martalolsen Nice setting of family support, devoting family father with a dream, and involving his family achieving his dream.Setting is realistic (or maybe to simple): 60's space equipment bought of ebay, "keep it simple stupid" kind of build. Considering Virgin and SpaceX achievements: I hope this move were made before their success... As its a bit contradictive on private initatives.If your looking for a nice family movie, showing devotion within a "relative" realistic but extreme settting: yes, its nice.If you prefer intellectual technological challenges, eg. everything from Apollo13 to AI issues and so on... no, its not for you.

tieman64 Michael Polish's "The Astronaut Farmer" works well for most of its running time. A fantastical David vs Goliath tale, the film watches as actor Billy Bob Thornton plays a Texas rancher who constructs a rocket in his barn and, against all odds, launches himself into outer space.The film's final act is ruined by several ridiculous sequences and some poor CGI, but also this: the film's first 3 acts work well because we're unsure whether Thornton's character is deeply deluded. We also suspect that his family members have become an almost cult-like group, who blindly worship, obey and follow their little patriarch. These interesting avenues, however, are ultimately left unexplored."The Astronaut Farmer" is criticised for being "totally damn unbelievable", but the film knows this. Structured as a children's tale, the film's a piece of myth-making about boyhood dreams propelling grown men. Thornton counters the film's whimsy with some good, dead-pan humour.7/10 – See "The Right Stuff" and "The White Diamond". Worth one viewing.

atanas_n1-1 i was unsure whether to watch this or not, for its description sounded cheap and uninspired to mei'm glad i didthe story about an farmer (with an astronaut training) who dreams about launching his own rocket and visiting space surely sounds strange but this story is told so beautifully and unpretentious ... i just had to love itand this is just the story on the surfacein fact this movie is about dreams and about the courage to live them, about love and family, about people staying true to one selves ...very well acted and very well written it works with realistic characters in realistic (yes, they are, even if the plot sounds strange) situations and moved me deeplysee it if you can

saumya14588 I believe the people are getting way too generous to be giving this piece of Ranch Junk a rating of over six! Those of u who have been lucky enough not to watch this till now and are craving for a "Pursue ur Dreams and don't give up hope" sort of cinema, watch October Sky. You'll get more than your money's worth.A movie like this works when you can identify with the aspirations of the lead and sympathies with his limitations and difficulties faced in achieving them. I doubt anyone other than a sadist can do all this with Farmer. I mean, how deranged and cold blooded can a man be? First, he spends all his time and money building a rocket out of junk (SwatKATs anyone?), bringing his family to bankruptcy. Second, he pulls his baby daughters out of school so he can teach them science (and make them bring him food n praise his tin can incidentally). Third, he makes his 15 yr old bald son controller of his mission, a work that's usually done by people double PHd in aeronautics or its like...Fourth, he decides to launch his rocket out of his barn, as if that wont incinerate his the damn barn, his house, ranch, his cattle and his family who watch from a few meters away from a rickety trailer! Hold on, in his first attempt he did it while his wife was snoozing, giving her a wake up call with shattering window glass as he took off! Fourth, he buys a joyride for his kids, when he is going bankrupt..and when his very understanding wife points out they are running out of money to buy even food, he goes hysterical howling about there being enough food by tearing a carton full of canned food. Next, his wife makes a silvery space suit for him as if he was going in a costume party. And yeah, he reenters the atmosphere suddenly being off course and lands almost in his backyard...and all these years the poor NASA had to launch aircraft carriers in 1000 or so square mile radius to find earlier astronauts. And lastly, he refuses an offer by bruce willis to go to space in a NASa shuttle cuz of his weird ego, risking his family no probs! Man, i think they should have named the movie "The Astronaut Joker", so at least it would have justified all this dark comedy.