Angus is an elderly widower in a dysfunctional family. When a billionaire announces a competition that grants three individuals a chance to fly in space, Angus sees his chance to live out a lifelong dream. Lying about his age, Angus successfully enters the competition, and wins one of the three spots.... (Full plot summary below)
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Angus is an elderly widower in a dysfunctional family. When a billionaire announces a competition that grants three individuals a chance to fly in space, Angus sees his chance to live out a lifelong dream. Lying about his age, Angus successfully enters the competition, and wins one of the three spots.
Leave your thoughts about Astronaut.
| The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerI like the way McLeod handles the genre. The easiest thing to do would be for her to write Feore’s Elon Musk-y space-or-bust character as a villain, thus making it impossible not to root for her protagonist (who warns of a potential load-bearing problem with the space-plane’s runway). McLeod resists that urge though. |
| Original-CinJim SlotekAt times, that slowness and steadiness in writer-director Shelagh McLeod’s tale is worth the wait as solid actors – including Dreyfuss and Graham Greene – do their thing. At others, it’s a source of consternation (particularly when events are moving at what should be a swift pace). But the “sad piano” soundtrack trope in the first act is probably the movie’s biggest hurdle. Stay with it, though. |
| CineVueJamie NeishAstronaut is a sweet film that could have done with more fire under its belly earlier on. |
| ReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe underlying idea is pregnant with promise but writer/director Shelagh McLeod, making her feature debut, is trapped by the time limitations of a film into cutting narrative corners and cheating to achieve an upbeat ending. |
| The Film StageJared MobarakA big part in combating the otherwise obvious plotting and overt coincidences beyond their family-friendly messaging is that Dreyfus commits to this performance. |
| The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonDespite its title, this mild-mannered feature debut from British TV actor turned writer-director Shelagh McLeod remains determinedly earthbound for most of its duration, more heart-tugging family saga than intergalactic adventure. |
| Movie NationRoger MooreStar Richard Dreyfuss gets his moments and finds a couple more of those signature, pugnacious Richard Dreyfuss lines to nail. And the whole sentimental affair goes down easier than you might expect from that desultory opening act. |
| VarietyTomris LafflyIn the end, only a fraction of McLeod’s ambitions sticks a landing. But Astronaut stays afloat with sweetness, thanks to a measured performance from Dreyfuss. |
| EmpireIan FreerAstronaut doesn’t have the budget or cinematic ambition to deliver on its premise. Despite the best efforts of Richard Dreyfuss, it reaches for the stars and misses by a mile. |
| Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinA sluggish drama about aging and holding onto your dreams. |
