Billy Bob Thornton blasts off for new roles

By Kylie Jane Wakefield
Collegian Editor
February 7, 2007

Directors, co-writers and brothers Michael and Mark Polish do not tend to stand out in a room. In fact, they blend in amongst the journalists, photographers and other random bodies. They dress in down-to-earth tones and speak softly when answering questions, always pausing before they answer as to articulate exactly what they mean.

Collegian editor Kylie Jane Wakefield poses with Billy Bob Thorton. - Cory Anotado

Billy Bob Thornton, on the other hand, is noticeable in any room. He looks like a modern day cowboy with unusual facial hair, turquoise rings on his fingers and a swanky way of carrying himself about. He has a charming southern accent (the kind where an “h” sound is placed before every word beginning with “w”) and uses obvious facial and hand gestures whenever answering a question.

On Feb. 1, 2007, the Collegian had the chance to interview the Polish brothers and Thornton about their new film, The Astronaut Farmer. They wrote and directed the film, while Thornton plays its main character, Charles Farmer.

Lately, Thornton has been starring in raunchy comedies intended for grown-ups (Bad Santa, School for Scoundrels) that have kept him on the map as an A-list celebrity. The Astronaut Farmer, a family drama, is a deviation from the comedies he has been in lately.

According to Thornton, “I loved the idea of the classic story of the common man fighting the system to fulfill a dream and yet having to balance that with family. In your career, there are certain things that you want to do — not necessarily genres — but certain types of characters that you want to play that go back to when you were growing up and wanted to be an actor. One of those for me was sort of a Jimmy Stewart character from a Frank Capra movie like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. That was it for me.”

Thornton, who “understood Charles Farmer the moment I read the script,” grew up in a time where John Glenn’s journey into space “was a big deal” and the whole country was united in the government’s space exploration program.

Thornton was also attracted to the role because he “grew up as a dreamer.” For anyone who wishes to become a famous actor, Thornton described, one has to be a dreamer. He could easily relate to the role of Farmer, who still dreams even after he has grown up. The role, Thornton said, “just fit.”

In the present, Thornton finds that he can easily relate to his character’s struggle. He balances caring for his family and pursuing his career, just like Farmer: “Right now my 2-and-a-half-year-old is really upset because I’m gone. She’s really attached to me. She’s a daddy girl. I talk to my girlfriend on my phone and I hear her in the background saying, ‘Daddy’s working!’ [So] when I read the script, it was just natural.”

But Thornton finds that even though family is his top priority, his career is also extremely important to him. He stated that “when you get to be 51 years old, a little arthritic and you’re still doing it, you must love it.”

The Polish brothers are also very closely attached to their new film. They say it’s a tribute to their father who stressed the “value of working hard to get where you are in life.” It was important to their father to “see his sons succeed.” He always had “blind faith” in them.

Growing up, the Polish brothers also took notice of how America’s space exploration program influenced the lives of millions of citizens. During that era, they said, “the nation was inspired together with the Apollo and even the Mercury programs.” A central idea of The Astronaut Farmer is that Farmer does not dream alone; he inspires his family, his town and even the nation to believe in his rocket.

The brothers declared that “the rocket is a metaphor for our filmmaking.” They made their first film, “then the business came later. It’s a metaphor for everything. Everyone has extraordinary dreams like that. It’s not so much about leaving — it’s about looking back.”

The Astronaut Farmer is to be released in theaters nation-wide Feb. 23.

wakefieldk1@lasalle.edu