The Astronaut Farmer

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The Astronaut Farmer

The promotional one-sheet poster.
Directed by Michael Polish
Produced by Len Amato
Mark Polish
Michael Polish
Paula Weinstein
Written by Mark Polish
Michael Polish
Starring Billy Bob Thornton
Virginia Madsen
Bruce Dern
Max Thieriot
Music by Stuart Matthewman
Cinematography M. David Mullen
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s) Flag of the United States February 23, 2007
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Budget $13 million
Gross revenue Domestic:
$11,003,643
Worldwide:
$11,130,889
Rental Gross:
$11.83 million
DVD Sales:
$13,380,475
IMDb profile

The Astronaut Farmer is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Polish and starring Billy Bob Thornton. Polish and his brother Mark also serve as writers and producers of the film. The film was released on February 23, 2007.

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[edit] Plot

Charles Farmer (Thornton) is a former astronaut in training who gave up his dream job with NASA because his father committed suicide. Never having traveled into space, he decides to build his own space craft, a replica of the historic Mercury-Atlas, with his own time and materials. He uses all of his assets and faces foreclosure and family problems. He encounters interference as the United States government tries to stop him.[1].

Farmer's rocket fails to launch on his first attempt and he is injured badly in the mishap. However, with encouragement from his family and money from his father-in-law's death, his financial problems are over and Farmer rebuilds his rocket. He succeeds in launching the rocket on his second attempt, orbits the Earth nine times and after a loss of communication with ground control, returns safely.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Production

The story takes place in Texas, but the movie was filmed in New Mexico, USA.

When Thornton's character is being interviewed by Jay Leno during the credits, the audience members are not extras but the actual studio audience from that day's filming of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The space suit worn by Thornton's character is the same Mercury-era Navy Mark V pressure suit worn by all of the Mercury Seven astronauts prior to Mercury-Atlas 9. [2] Additionally, the rocket featured in the film is nearly-scale replica of the Mercury-Atlas that launched America's first astronauts into orbit.

[edit] Release

The film's release date, February 23 2007, came just three days after the 45th anniversary of the United States' first orbital mission, Friendship 7, piloted by John Glenn. Glenn's flight and the remaining three Mercury flights were all orbital missions using the Atlas booster.

[edit] Real life influences

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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