Buy From Amazon.com
Reviewed by Steve Rogers
Film:	B
Video Quality:	C-
Audio Quality:	C
Special Features:	A-
DVD Review:	B-

I'll have to admit I wasn't quite sure what to expect with The Astronaut Farmer, the latest offering from the indie team of brothers Michael and Mark Polish. I knew them from 1999's Twin Falls Idaho, an unusual and sentimental tale about conjoined twins (played by the Polish brothers). I wondered just what they would do with the quirky tale of a rancher and former NASA astronaut (played by Billy Bob Thornton) who decides to build a rocket in his barn and launch himself into orbit.

Thornton is utterly believable as Charles Farmer, the middle-aged rancher who has harbored the dream of going into space ever since he decided to leave the NASA space training program after his father's death to care for his family's ranch. Now he's getting ready to stage the ultimate space comeback, constructing a rocket with a manned capsule atop it inside his own barn. When he orders up 10,000 lbs. of premium grade rocket fuel, the Feds come knocking and Farmer's launch window shrinks to a precarious few weeks as he also fends off foreclosure on his ranch. Then it's up to Farmer and his ultra-supportive family to get the show off the ground.

The supporting cast is uniformly fine, with Virginia Madsen in an understated performance as Farmer's wife and Bruce Willis appearing unbilled as a NASA space shuttle astronaut trying to talk his old NASA buddy Farmer out of launching.

What the Polish brothers (director Michael; co-writer/actor Mark) have actually done is taken this peculiar little story and imbued it with some old-fashioned David vs. Goliath sensibilities like ambition, determination and personal integrity, all without losing the unique spirit of the movie; sort of David Lynch meets Frank Capra. The Astronaut Farmer is an uplifting movie and one of the true feel good films from 2006, an impressive effort from its talented filmmakers.

Video Quality

The disc quality was somewhat on the raw side, with the double-sided disc featuring the widescreen version on one side and the full-frame version on the other. I found the Panavision image to be slightly blurry and poorly defined for the first 20 minutes or so but after that the image improved markedly and presented with enhanced detail and bright, colorful images. Whether this was a processing flaw or a pressing problem, I can't really say.

Audio Quality

The surround sound track listed 5.1 Dolby, but there seemed at best front channel effects that were only mildly engaging at times. While primarily dialogue driven, some scenes involving the rocket could have benefited from the extra channels.

Special Features

The 28-minute making of doc was an exemplary example of this standard special feature. Excellent, insightful commentaries by numerous members of the cast and crew fleshed out the thought process behind the film and contributed to a greater appreciation and enjoyment of the movie. There is also a brief interview with Apollo astronaut David Scott and a blooper and outtakes reel. I hadn't seen a blooper reel in quite some time and had forgotten how much fun they can be. Billy Bob Thornton's impromptu version of his Sling Blade character Karl musing on a secret potion designed to seduce women had me, and what sounded like Virginia Madsen off camera, in hysterics.

Summary

The Polish brothers have combined the best qualities of an offbeat independent film with a Capraesque sensibility and crafted an entertaining family-oriented movie with a cast that shines. Sure, it's not completely believable (Farmer's mission control consists of his 15-year-old son housed in an Airstream trailer with a gaggle of antennas on top) but it will likely make believers out of most viewers. The disc presentation is only adequate, but enjoyable special features help boost the grade of this winner.