Title: Astronaut
Rating: N/A
Director: Shelagh McLeod
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Lyriq Bent, Colm Feore
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

What is it: A lonely widower named Angus (Dreyfuss) battles his family, ill health, and time to win a competition for a golden ticket to space.

What we think: What an INSPIRING story! This very sweet film is a perfect example as to why you are never too old to live your dreams. Sometimes when we feel like what we want is never going to happen, life has a way of surprising us and turning even our most unlikely dreams into a reality. Even if we are battling naysayers which happen to be those we are related to. However, sometimes your family can also be the very thing that helps your dreams come true as did for the main character. An aspect I loved about this film was the lesson derived from it. Not just the big lessons like the importance of family supporting each other but the small lessons which came from the interactions between the characters. Small lessons like the importance of celebrating in simple ways, possibly through the art of dance. Or even the extremely important lesson of actually stopping to listen to what someone has to say even if they are not easily understood upon first glance. Which I feel is a skill many individuals lack in this world, the art of simply listening to one another, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, etc. Sometimes listening can be the very thing that takes a person from good to great. In regards to production value, the cinematography was done well as was the lighting, sound and production design. Another aspect of this film I truly admired was the use of simple techniques to portray space. There was nothing flashy and nothing seemed over the top. They utilized simple techniques to portray a big idea and they did it very well.

Our grade: A, This is a feel-good family film about the lesson of not giving up and to keep striving even when it feels all hope is lost. Definitely an inspiration film however I would recommend having tissues around. This movie may be a bit of tear jerker for some who watch it. Shout out to Fantasia 2019 for letting us check this one out!