4/5 the point seems to be about individual effort instead of government controlled space flight
  by R. Bagula (Lakeside, Ca United States)
"Controlled"
In ancient times you didn't need a government contract or clearance
to do something like build a ship and sail as far as you were able.
This story about an engineer pilot who built his own mercury
project atlas-type rocket and goes into orbit.
His first try almost kills him, but he and his family don't give up.
Sort of a modern Noah and family type of effort results in this fictional success.
Burt Rutan and band of friends did the equivalent of this several times
over with setting many records for distance and height with his
designs. There pretty much just two real aerospace corporations
left in the USA because of government( strangle hold)
policy mismanagement of contracts.
It is not a nice situation when government tells you not to dream
or wish for a better future for our children.

5/5 Wanna See Something Really Beautiful?
  by W. Powell
A film that makes you reflect on your own dreams or the dreams of your loved ones. This movie, though a bit of a corny, family entertainment piece, touches something childlike in us. To be shown a man who holds onto his childhood dream while friends, community and the world are saying its time to let go of it, makes for a magical viewing experience. The fact that his family sticks through it with him, even though at times their belief in him is tested, was what I thought the bigger lesson in this movie. To support those in your family in attempting to fulfill their dream, through accomplishment and/or failure, is the sign of a healthy and happy family.

A beautiful movie with real people in excitingly unreal roles. Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen and the three kid actors capture the essence of a family living with an unfulfilled dream and the loving sacrifice to see that dream fulfilled. Grandfather, husband, wife, son, daughter, they all have so much to lose and gain by one's fulfillment of the dream. The southwestern landscape adds to the magic.

If you can remember watching a movie as a child that held you spellbound in a theater or in front of the television, this film can bring you back to that time and place.

Wonderful!

5/5 Favorite Movie!
  by Kristen B (Los Lunas, NM USA)
I love this feel good movie. Yes much of the plot is unrealistic, but its a movie and I enjoyed it and the happy ending especially scenes at the end ( don't want to give away spoilers ) Watch this as a drama and try to relate to the family more and I think you will enjoy it! :)

2/5 GREAT?
  by Willow Moon Pearce
I really liked it for the simple reason it made me laugh a lot. I would like to know if this is the end of decent and watchable movies from the US.

1/5 Folly.
  by E. Holbert


A long time back, my family was sitting around the living room tuned into the good ol' directv contemplating between The Astronaut Farmer and Flyboys. Absolutely unfortunately we chose The Astronaut Farmer and spent the next few days questioning the waste of three good dollars. Dollars that could've been used to buy some gum (my mouth regrets the choice).

You see - the set-up to The Astronaut Farmer presents us with this "I'm a dreamer, even thought my dreams are far-fetched" feel. And that...we generally like. Or at least I do. You don't expect the movie to be painstakingly realistic. But...C'mon. The man crashes his...Rocket. Not his chevy, not his motorcycle. He crashes his ...Rocket Ship. AND HE LIVES! And then He and his son build him another rocket...within what seems to be a week's time.

Do you remember the part in Lord of the Rings when Bilbo tells Gandalf that he feels stretched? Like butter scraped across too much bread? Yeah well that's the story-line of The Astronaut Farmer. It's a whole lot of nothing stretched across a near 2 hour movie.