Word: astronautical
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While “The Astronaut Farmer” purports to be to be about the fulfillment of a man’s lifelong dream, it does more to destroy the illusion than to carry out the fantasy. Hollywood presents the modern day American space explorer: Billy Bob Thornton...
...when real life astronauts, such as Lisa Novak, are charged with attempted murder, it is not beyond belief that the Thornton’s character throws a brick through a bank window in one of the film’s opening scenes to vent his financial frustrations. Still, Thornton, best known in recent years for his sleazy roles in “Bad Santa” and “Bad News Bears” — note the repetition of “bad” — is not believable as an earnest former astronaut...
...Astronaut Farmer” opens with a shot of a vast swathe of desert, with Charles Farmer (Thornton) surveying his majestic ranch, outfitted in his homemade space suit. We hear Neil Armstrong epoch-defining words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind...
Bizarrely, the experience of entering space is downplayed. Farmer leaves the stratosphere, the Lucky Charms make yet another appearance, and then we’re back in Texas. The only inference to be made is that “The Astronaut Farmer” isn’t really about one man’s love of the stars and his desire to experience the unknown; one might argue that it isn’t really about anything...
...Woman Scorned If astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak's actions were the result of some mental problems, her condition was not of her volition [Feb. 19]. People do not choose to be mentally ill any more than they choose to be physically ill. nasa's inability to monitor the psychological well-being of its astronauts is no excuse to use insulting and insensitive terminology to describe astronauts or anyone else who suffers from mental illness. Donna Schoustra Lansing, Illinois...