The Wannabe Astronaut-The Astronaut Farmer (2007)

Directed by: Michael Polish | 104 minutes | drama, adventure | Actors: Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern, Bruce Willis, JK Simmons, Max Thieriot, Jasper Polish, Logan Polish, Mark Polish, Jon Gries, Tim Blake Nelson, Sal Lopez, Kiersten Warren, Rick Overton, Richard Edson, Elise Eberle, Julie White, Graham Beckel, Marshall Bell, Kathleen Arc, Lois Geary, Dianne Anderson Mathis, William Lawrence Allen, Gregory Chase, Forrest Fyre, Janelle Sperow

“If we don’t have our dreams. We have nothing” It has been quiet around the Polish brothers for a long time. Their last film ‘Northfork’ dates back to 2003. Michael Polish directs and Mark Polish writes the screenplays. In 2007 they made a new film: ‘The Astronaut Farmer’, or ‘The Wannabe Astronaut’, as it is released in the Netherlands.

The film tells us that you should never give up on making your dreams come true, even if others say you won’t. Charles Farmer will never give up on making his dream come true. Since childhood, he dreams of going to space. He had to interrupt his training as an astronaut due to the death of his father. Charles now lives in Story, Texas with his wife and three children. His dream of going to space is still there. He even built his own rocket in his shed to launch himself. All the inhabitants of the town think that Charles has gone completely mad and they do not believe that he will go into space. However, his wife and children continue to support him through thick and thin. His eldest son Shepard even helps him with the space project. Once Charles orders 10,000 pounds of fuel, the FBI and FAA also become interested in his plans. From that moment on, the government tries to do everything it can to stop Charles. They see him as a danger to the population.

The Polish brothers have assembled the right cast for their film. Billy Bob Thornton is perfect as Charles Farmer. This time he doesn’t play a drunken bastard like in ‘Bad Santa’ but a sympathetic, loving man and father of three children. He shares his dream with his whole family. Charles is a man who will never tell his children that something is not possible. Everything is possible as long as you believe in it. His wife Audrey is well played by Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”). In small supporting roles we also see Bruce Willis and JK Simmons (‘Spider Man’). ‘The Wannabe Astronaut’ is a wonderful feel-good movie. A film that could have come straight out of the Disney stables. However, that is not the case. Mark Polish wrote the screenplay himself and it turned out to be an original story that contains fun and beautiful moments. The humor is subtle and comes mainly from the dialogues of Charles Farmer. The emphasis is still on the drama, but fortunately the story does not become sentimental, so that the film remains accessible to a wide audience. If you’re in the mood for a warm family movie, ‘The Wannabe Astronaut’ is just right for you.