Space Cowboys (2000)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Ken Kaufman (written by) &
Howard Klausner (written by)

Release Date:

4 August 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Boys will be boys.

Plot:

When a retired engineer is called upon to rescue a failing satellite, he insists that his equally old teammates accompany him into space.

Plot Keywords:

Satellite | Space | NASA | Roller Coaster | Space Shuttle

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13	2:00 PM	HBO
Mon. Nov. 16	7:45 AM	HBO

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Frank Corvin
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Hawk Hawkins
Donald Sutherland	...	Jerry O'Neill
James Garner	...	Tank Sullivan
James Cromwell	...	Bob Gerson
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Sara Holland
William Devane	...	Eugene Davis
Loren Dean	...	Ethan Glance
Courtney B. Vance	...	Roger Hines
Barbara Babcock	...	Barbara Corvin
Rade Serbedzija	...	General Vostov
Blair Brown	...	Dr. Anne Caruthers
Jay Leno	...	Himself
Nils Allen Stewart	...	Tiny
Deborah Jolly	...	Cocktail Waitress

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37575) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | South Korea:12 | Singapore:PG | Philippines:G

Filming Locations:

Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Clipsal Films

Trivia:

According to film editor Joel Cox, director Eastwood, a notoriously quick director, would routinely film as many as 35 to 40 set-ups in a single day.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During their training, the astronauts practice a simulator landing of the shuttle during what appears to be a very heavy thunderstorm. Since the shuttle orbiter would be greatly damaged by such an approach, NASA waves off any landing attempt if there is inclement weather anywhere within 30 miles of the landing location. It would be highly unlikely astronauts would even train for such a landing.

Quotes:

Jason: [to his girlfriend, after his plane ride] I love you, and I love being on the ground.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making 'Blood Work' (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

PATRICIA

You are never too old to have fun

What movie with Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones. James Garner, James Cromwell, Donald Sutherland, and Marcia Gay Harden wouldn't be worth a look. This one has it all, but mostly laughs. This Clint Eastwood produced and directed movie is great simply because the cast doesn't appear to take it seriously. They are just having fun. And special effects? They are better here than other movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact.

If you like movies where people are considered outdated or replaceable and prove the experts wrong, then this is the one. I watch it and keep getting reminded about all those COBOL experts who were back making the big bucks just prior to the millennium change.