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The Reluctant Astronaut
(1967)
Boldly going
where no coward has gone before.
Director: Edward Montagne, rated Approved
  Starring: Don Knotts,
Leslie Nielsen, Joan Freeman, Arthur O'Connell, Frank McGrath,
Jeanette Nolan, Joan Shawlee, Guy Raymond
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"We are not
interested in your heart, Fleming! We want your elbow grease!" –
Donelli
Why watch this?
As a kid, Don Knotts made me laugh until I cried.
Plot Summary:
Roy Fleming is a timid carnival ride operator with a severe fear
of heights, whose father unknowingly gets him a job at NASA.
Upon arriving, Roy discovers he's been hired as a janitor, not
an astronaut, but due to his father's excitement and belief in
his astronaut status, he attempts to maintain the charade.
However, unforeseen circumstances and the space race lead NASA
to send an unlikely candidate into space, thrusting Roy into the
very situation he's tried to avoid.
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Dad's Preview:
Comedian Don Knotts paved the road for the hapless, unlucky
character that today is so perfectly played by the likes of Ben Stiller. Here
he portrays a Roy Fleming, a nerd of a man who aspires to be an astronaut... so he goes to work
for NASA. Unknown to his proud family, he lies that he is fact a
janitor... not the
astronaut his father so wants. When his
family makes a surprise visit, he is forced to keep the
ruse going, with
hilarious results. Then, you guessed it, he's accidentally blasted into space
- for real!
It's innocent, poignant and very, very funny. |
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Edward Montagne; Universal Pictures
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