Space Cowboys (2000)

Gather now all ye olde astronauts - Clint Eastwood is the adamant NASA astronaut who collects fellow oldsters Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland for a special mission in space. Jones was actually over a decade younger than the other actors, so had to play older than he was. Ironically, he also plays the one character with serious health problems. Most of the film is grounded in reality on Earth, despite the outlandish premise, as Eastwood's character has to hurdle various obstacles and training to get this mission off the ground, so to speak. In the final act, we get the impressive FX in outer space. Also in smaller roles as NASA bigwigs are William Devane and James Cromwell. As various women involved with the men: Marcia Gay Harden, Blair Brown and Barbara Babcock. I guess this was Eastwood's homage to the Air Force test pilots and the pioneering astronauts of 3 & 4 decades earlier, giving them a return to glory fling with the movie representations here; it's interesting and must viewing for any fans of NASA and its history. The climactic scenes indicate a technology we don't really possess and are a bit science fiction in their scope. And, improbably, it ends with a final shot on the moon, a little haunting and lyrical at the same time - if you're into that whole guys in space stuff. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10
Space Trivia: there are flashback scenes to the 4 key astronauts as young men; Toby Stephens plays Eastwood's character as a young man and does a good impersonation; early small role for Jon Hamm; Jay Leno appears as himself.