The Top 10 Best Movie Astronauts
These Movie Astronauts Are Ready to Explore the Final Frontier
Before science sent the first man to the stars in 1961, Hollywood shot dozens of movie astronauts off to strange and wildly scientifically inaccurate planets. Even after NASA put a guy on the moon, movies continued to push the limits of science and imagination as filmmakers attempt to capture a fraction of the astrological wonders beyond our atmosphere. That’s why this week, I’m counting down the top 10 best movie astronauts of all time. In order to not have this turn into a list of biopics, I’ve decided to focus on fictional movie astronauts. I’m also going to stick with films keeping with the themes of science and exploration, and not so much combat. That doesn’t mean that all the movie astronauts on this list are going to get a peaceful journey across the stars. It turns out that Murphy’s Law is just as effective in space as it is on Earth, and a lot can go wrong up there. Don’t worry though, because these movie astronauts have trained for every possible scenario and know how to keep cool under pressure. So, get ready because this list is ready to blast off.
10. Charles Farmer – The Astronaut Farmer
Almost all of the movie astronauts on this list had the full backing of some sort of Space Agency to help them get off this hunk of rock, but not Charlie Carmer (Billy Bob Thornton). Charlie spent his life as an Air Force pilot and NASA hopeful before he reluctantly had to resign and take over his family’s ranch. That didn’t stop him from following his own dreams, and he took up a little side-project in the barn to help those dreams come true. You see, if NASA wouldn’t send Charlie into space, he was just going to have to find a way to send himself. So, he set out to build his own rocket to do exactly that, which is a feat none of the other entries on this list can boast about. It’s not the prettiest ship, but Charlie’s rocket proves he’s easily one of the best of the best when it comes to movie astronauts.
9. Vincent Freeman AKA Jerome Eugene Morrow – Gattaca
Next up on this list of movie astronauts is a character who risked his life to achieve his dream of space travel. Gattaca takes place in a future where genetics mean everything, and some families go so far as to have their unborn children’s DNA edited to make them the best possible version of themselves. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) was born the old-fashioned way, and his genes put him at the bottom of the barrel thanks to some possible health problems that could, perhaps, kinda come up… maybe. That means before the day he was born, society declared there was no way Vincent Freeman was going to space. Upon learning this, Vincent assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect physical specimen who was paralyzed overseas but hasn’t updated those records in America. The two make a deal and Vincent proves genes don’t determine one’s capabilities, making him one of the most inspiring movie astronauts of all time.
8. Corporal Bower – Pandorum
I’m wading deep into the realm of sci-fi with the space-horror gem Pandorum, but I have to give credit to Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) for being one of the bravest and most capable movie astronauts of all time. The film is set far in the future at a point where humans were forced to flee to the stars after destroying our own planet and begins with Bower awakening from cryo-sleep to begin his tour as the ship’s engineer aboard the ark, Elysium. From the moment he rubs the cryosleep out of his eyes, it’s very clear that something has gone terribly wrong aboard the massive ship carrying 60,000 passengers. His fears are confirmed when he finds savage humanoid creatures aboard with a taste for human flesh, who have become quite “hangry” over the years. There isn’t anything about this scenario in the book, but Corporal Bower doesn’t let that stop him from using his guts and know-how to try to save the humans left in his care.
7. Ava Hamilton – The Cloverfield Paradox
Keeping with the sci-fi vibes from the last entry, I’m going to mix things up a little on this list by going with an unconventional choice for the number 10 spot, Ava Hamilton (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). To be honest, most of the crew aboard Cloverfield Station are damn good movie astronauts, but since I can only pick one, I’ll go with the communications officer who managed to survive one of the most incredible interstellar journeys on this list. Hamilton and her team were sent into space to test new technology in order to solve a global energy crisis. The thing about new and exciting technology in movies is that it will inevitably cause an even bigger disaster than its supposed to solve. As the crew of Cloverfield Station begins to perish one by one, Hamilton pulls them together, attempting to figure out what went wrong, and how to save her planet before it’s too late.
6. Dr. David Jordan – Life
I don’t think there’s another character on this list of movie astronauts who loves space half as much as David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal). As Life begins, it reveals that he’s pushing the limits of his tour on the International Space Station to the point where his muscles have begun to deteriorate from the lower gravity on board. Those muscles would have come in handy when the unknown alien entity nicknamed “Calvin” made its way on board. Not that there would have been anything Dr. Jordan could have done even if he was fit as a fiddle (Calvin took out Ryan Reynolds for goodness sake!). Instead, Jordan decides to fight smarter rather than harder as he and his fellow ISS crew attempt to not only escape, but prevent Calvin from making it to Earth. As much as Jordan loves space, he probably isn’t planning on going back anytime soon.