A group of NASA employees took a full page ad in this morning’s New York Times blasting the critical and boxoffice hit “Gravity,” starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, for its highly unrealistic portrayal of NASA. According to Jeff Williams, an astronaut and one of the 18,000 NASA employees on a work furlough since the government shutdown last Tuesday, he was outraged by “Gravity’s” far-fetched plot in which the United States is able to keep its NASA workers employed, and fund its space program to send astronauts into orbit.

“I thought ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2’ was more grounded,” Williams told Hollywood & Swine. “In regards to the space sequences, I have no idea if they were realistic and never will because my astronaut buddies and I will probably never get to go into space in our lifetime.”

Boxoffice experts credit “Gravity’s” record October opening weekend of $55.5 million to the multiple showings the 18,000 NASA employees paid to see since they were out of work and had nothing better to do. Warner Brothers, the studio behind “Gravity” is reportedly asking Republicans in Congress not to give into President Obama and keep the government shutdown so that the unemployed NASA workers can help “Gravity” shatter boxoffice records.

“The worst part of going to see ‘Gravity’ in theaters was when I had to watch the trailer for ‘Escape Plan,” Williams said. “What kind of country do we live in we stop funding space exploration but keep funding movies starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger?”