Astronaut is a 2019 drama about a lonely widower who battles his family, ill health, and time to win a competition for a golden ticket to space.
The thing about being human that makes us so particularly special is our capacity to dream of things yet to come, to ‘see’ ourselves in places and as people far into the future, serving as landmarks for where we want to be. That of course has been the very center of probably countless stories feeding entertainment, recounting tales of improbable success and lifelong hope, inspiring many to chase their own passions. With writer and director Shelagh McLeod‘s feature length debut effort Astronaut, this dream falls on the shoulders of an elderly man with a chance to do what so few can in a personal and heartwarming little adventure that sets its sights on where it wants to go and makes sure nothing steers it off course.
Angus (Richard Dreyfuss) is facing a bag change. Having lost his wife and suffering from poor health, he moves in with his daughter Molly (Krista Bridges) and her family, husband, Jim (Lyriq Bent), and son, Barney (Richie Lawrence). A curious man with an adventurous spirit, Angus in not one to find a corner and sit still, so when he hears on TV that a powerful billionaire named Marcus (Colm Feore) has created a public competition to fly the first civilians into space, Angus, along with the encouragement of Barney, applies online, despite Angus not entirely meeting all the requirements, straight up lying on the form. Then, as he is moved to a senior care facility thinking all hope is lost, he is actually selected and his dreams are about to come true … but the engineer in him sees a problem.
While the premise seems narrowly focused on getting a shot into space, the movie is far less about chasing this hope in favor of wrapping it all up in a warm generations-wide family drama, with emphasis on the final stage of life. The weight here is how Angus may have a failing body but his mind is still very sharp with much still to contribute, McLeod allowing this be what becomes influence on young Barney, who learns about astronomy and more. Meanwhile, Angus slowly loses everything he once had, becoming dependent on others to take care of him, bonding with others in the care facility – most notably a guy named Len (Graham Greene), who has his own serious health concerns.
While the plot mostly circles these relationships, there is more going on, including problems with Molly and Jim, with he a banker finding himself in some serious trouble that could cost the family dearly. This adds some personality to it all but naturally, when it comes back to Angus, the film finds better footing, though let’s face it, this is on a narrow flight path and there isn’t much to be surprised about, the story steadily falling into a series of clichés along the way it sort of feels bound to accept. It’s not at all a big experience, McLoud keeping it local and scaled back, making it a pleasant little watch with just the right amount of feel good.