# The Farmer Astronaut" Who Dreamed THIS Up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419 "2007-02-15T22:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/1 "2007-02-15T22:52:24Z")
This movie looks bizarre! A Texas farmer builds his own rocket and launches himself into space? The premise of this is just weird? Is thisbased on anything real? How MUCH would it cost to build yourself a Jupiter rocket and mercury capsule? And, would the FAA cause problems for you? ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/2 "2007-02-15T22:57:19Z")
If you want a non-snarky answer, it’s [Michael Polish](http://imdb.com/name/nm0689187/). Haven’t seen his other stuff, but none of it looks glaringly awful. None of it looks that good either. Nitpick: It’s “The Astronaut Farmer” ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/3 "2007-02-15T23:07:21Z")
Oh! 😕 I thought this was a remake of Salvage I. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/4 "2007-02-15T23:22:31Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL] I thought this was a remake of Salvage I. [/QUOTE] You misspelled “ripoff.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/5 "2007-02-15T23:23:34Z")
My wife and I roll our eyes everytime we hear, “If they were weapons of mass destruction, you wouldn’t be able to find them.” Such a terrible, lame line. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/6 "2007-02-15T23:26:48Z")
Am I a bad person for wanting to watch this? I love Billy Bob Thorton. ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/7 "2007-02-15T23:59:00Z")
When I saw the trailers for this, I immediately thought of John Varley’s novel, _Red Thunder_ about a washed up astronaut, his genius cousin, and a bunch of kids building their own spacecraft to reach Mars. For about 2 mil. But they build it in a big warehouse in Florida. While not Varley’s best work, it is intriguing to consider. However, \*The Astronaut Farmer \* looks like major suckage on film. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/8 "2007-02-16T00:09:36Z")
From the review on Ebert and Roeper last weekend, it appears that they start with the rocket and never explain how this guy was able to build it and wire it up. Salvage 1 at least started with the rocket. It sound to me like they couldn’t explain how the plot point could be explained, so they punted. Billy Bob will act all over the place, so who cares if it makes sense. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/9 "2007-02-16T00:18:28Z")
Just the latest in his string of 90-minute hair-club infomercials. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/10 "2007-02-16T00:25:51Z")
I would watch this film if Billy Bob simply played the part as his character from either Bad Santa or Slingblade. Of course that would affect the PG rating, but what a movie it would make. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/11 "2007-02-16T00:30:02Z")
_Mee-shun Controwul, this is Asternought Karl. I like the way you tawlk, mm-hm_. ---
**Author:** ![Skipper\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Skipper\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skipper_Too)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/12 "2007-02-16T00:39:25Z")
Well there is Brian the “Rocket Guy” sadly his website [www.rocketguy.com](http://www.rocketguy.com) isn’t working right now but here is a [link](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/rocket_guy_010611-1.html) to a news story about him. Pretty interesting guy. Who knew that a simple childerens toy licensend to Disney could fund a rocket building enterprise in Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/13 "2007-02-16T00:42:59Z")
I find it quite lame that the movie is resorting to the “eeevil government agents are trying to stop him from launching the rocket cause they don’t want anyone horning in on NASA”. Um, X-Prize anyone? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/14 "2007-02-16T01:20:31Z")
As hard SF, this premise is about on a level with _Santa Claus Conquers the Martians._ Done as an \*Airplane-\*style comedy, it would **work.** But I have little hope. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/15 "2007-02-16T04:07:50Z")
[QUOTE=Raygun99] I find it quite lame that the movie is resorting to the “eeevil government agents are trying to stop him from launching the rocket cause they don’t want anyone horning in on NASA”. Um, X-Prize anyone? [/QUOTE] Isn’t that kind of like the graphic novel series, _Open Space_? I seem to recall an L. Neil Smith story in there with a similar view. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/16 "2007-02-16T04:13:15Z")
Has Billy Bob jumped the shark? He used to have the Midas touch, but this… and Ice Harvest… and Bad News Bears… I dunno. I think he ran outta steam. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/17 "2007-02-16T06:43:52Z")
When I first heard about the movie, the person I thought of was [Bob Truax](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Truax). He’s the guy who built Evel Knievel’s X-2 Skycycle, and he was also trying to build his own manned suborbital rocket in his garage, using surplus rocket parts. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/18 "2007-02-16T08:03:00Z")
[QUOTE=Raygun99] I find it quite lame that the movie is resorting to the “eeevil government agents are trying to stop him from launching the rocket cause they don’t want anyone horning in on NASA”. [/QUOTE] Yeah. Billy Bob I usually like, but this sort of plot line is just too stale for me. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/19 "2007-02-16T09:21:59Z")
[QUOTE=Raygun99] I find it quite lame that the movie is resorting to the “eeevil government agents are trying to stop him from launching the rocket cause they don’t want anyone horning in on NASA”. Um, X-Prize anyone? [/QUOTE] The movie probably didn’t have a chance from the start, but that angle just KILLS it for me. WTF? Multiple ppl and companies are at least PLAYING with attempts at orbit IRL (I say play, as some never seem to get anywhere), and I never hear about any Ruby Ridge action on those fronts. There are other directions they could’ve taken this, and while none of them were likely to end in an Oscar speech, at least they wouldn’t have ruined a Billy Bob vehicle. Heh, vehicle! I made a pun! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419/20 "2007-02-16T09:31:47Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] My wife and I roll our eyes everytime we hear, “If they were weapons of mass destruction, you wouldn’t be able to find them.” Such a terrible, lame line. [/QUOTE] I disagree. I smirk every time I hear it. What balls to use it in a preview! I have no idea if the movie will suck or not, but I’m there for Billy Bob, Virginia, and that line. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-farmer-astronaut-who-dreamed-this-up/392419.md?page=2)