The Astronaut Farmer (PG, 2007)
common sense media says
Billy Bob dreams of space in uneven fantasy drama.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is an uplifting family-friendly fantasy populated by realistic characters and settings. Younger kids might need some context to understand emotional scenes involving a grandfather's death and a rocket crashing. A character throws a brick through a bank window in anger, and a wife throws a plate at her husband. Kids in the family have to deal with their father's reputation for being "crazy," and his wife has to contend with financial hardship in wake of her husband's obsession. One rocket launch results in an explosion and crash that leaves Charlie in the hospital (some blood). Mild language, including "ass" and "s--t."
Violence & scariness:
Discussion of suicide (an adult child recalls his father's death); Charlie throws a brick through the bank window when he gets a foreclosure notice; angry Audie throws a plate at Charlie; sad scene in which Audie finds her father dead in his bed; first launch features an explosion and crash that leaves Charlie bloody and broken, then laid up in the hospital.
Sexy stuff:
Sexual slang ("getting laid").
Language:
Mild language, used infrequently and casually: "s--t," "ass," "son of a bitch," "damn it." Some name-calling ("space cadets," "stupid").
Consumerism:
Product sponsorship is a thematic concern of the movie (Farmer seeks commercial endorsements to finance the rocket, including Dunkin Donuts, Dairy Queen); other brand names mentioned or shown include Tang, Target, Volkswagen, Coca Cola, John Deere, and Lucky Charms.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Rancher drinks beer.
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Tsion
parent of 15 year old
parent of 15 year old
A Laugh-Out-Loud Movie...But Not In a Good Way
THE ASTRONAUT FARMER is not a good movie. At all. If you watch it, you probably won't enjoy it, due to its laughable story, soap-opera script, and bad acting.
Language is an issue in the movie. "S**t" and "a*s" are used some, and so is "d**n". A man recalls his father's suicide, and the main character is beat up pretty bad after a shuttle crash. He is also a bad role model for kids. He sacrifices his family's hopes and dreams on a whim to make himself feel good, and we're supposed to praise him for it. He acts irrationally to situations and vandalizes public buildings.
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ez0199
adult
adult
Anyone can watch - it's just boring
My whole family watched this and I didn't have an issue with anything in the movie. However, the plot was just rediculous.
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bubbo
adult
adult
Good
A charming, quirky, and inspiring movie--I was surprised by how much I liked it!
As far as content goes, there is one somewhat intense crash scene, some peril and suspense. There also is quite a bit of language for a PG movie, although it is all mild profanity. Good for kids 8+
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Stanley
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Good, yet forgettable...
This movie is confused at what age group it wants to appeal to. This is suitable for kids ages 5 and up, but the material in the film seems to be aimed at a mature audience. Other than that, this movie was decent, but you if someone asked me about this movie in a year or two from now, I probably wouldn't remember it. Rent this just for a god hour and a half of entertainment.
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junjun
adult
adult
Kids may get bored
good movie,i dont know what group age it was aidmed at,kids get bored by the long talks & lack of action but for grounp ups its a very good movie
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ktarzjan
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Very NIce Film that pushes the edges on family-friendly drama
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janetg
adult
adult
Surprisingly good
My 10 year old was upset by the amount of bad language. As parents, we think the reference to 'getting laid' could have been left out. That was uncomfortable for my child. Other than that, she loved it and it was one her parents could enjoy, too.
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taneydog
adult
adult
Rediculous premise
Do you really think that a dream is more important than providing for your children? Because I believe that a father's children's character qualities and well-being are more important than chasing a rather far-out dream, I squirmed, inwardly, through this badly-acted movie which had a short-sighted plot. I wouldn't waste my time on this one. I can't think of too many redeeming qualities in this movie. The kids were cute -- I'll give it that.
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pinkmamma
adult
adult
Inspirering
It was a very good movie to watch. I don't I'll be owning it though. There was a drama sticker on the movie when I rented it and that is no lie.... DRAMA. That is not a bad thing. We are a family that get more into comedy. My children 6,4 and 2 weren't interested until there was a little action in it. For parents who are careful what thier children watch you might want to watch this first. My husband wasn't likeing the part where the parents fight. This is something we try to not exspose our hildren to. But, we understand it common in some peoples house.
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mrscindeed
adult
adult
I Wasted My Time With This Movie
I'm not a good writer so I'm borrowing the best parts of the review from PluggedIn Online:
In principle, it's a great idea, but the way it plays out makes it less like the icing on the cake and more like a ketchup filling inside a pie. You can swallow it, and it won't kill you, but something's not quite right about it.
Perhaps it's the fact that while Charles' dream is exciting, it's not very morally substantial. Aside from a few weak lines about wanting to educate the world about space, the dream is almost completely selfish. Charles wants the experience of space. He wants to prove he can do it on his own (so much so that he rejects an offer to take a ride on the next shuttle mission, which would get him to space legitimately—and in relative safety). In contrast to other "follow your dreams" stories, Charles' quest lacks the nobility and depth needed to make his sacrifice psychologically worthwhile.
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