Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 22, 2007.
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Actors, Directors factor their kids into filmmaking
Apparently anyone can go into space these days.
Just ask twin filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish. Mark cowrote the new family film The Astronaut Farmer with his brother, who also directed. The movie follows a farmer who builds a rocket in his barn with the intention of going into space, and how this impacts his family and even the entire nation. It's an idea that's been a few years in the making.
"The initial idea came in around 2002. We pulled it out in 2005. The total writing took around 6 months," Mark said. "We did extensive research. It's called Google."
Famed actor and director Billy Bob Thornton stars as the protagonist.
"I loved the script. After doing a few comedies in a row I really wanted to do this. It was a great experience," Thornton said.
Bruce Willis and Bruce Dern also appear in the film, both of whom are friends of Thornton. It's a detail, according to the actor, that made the acting process much more enjoyable.
"When you're working with friends, it's like a vacation together because we don't get to see each other a lot. The whole cast was terrific to work with," Thornton said.