The politics is kind of fuzzy and cliched, the astronomy fuzzier still, but who cares? My family is all rabidly loyal Firefly fans.
Joss Whedon did the show, the guy who did "Buffy" and the rest of that series.
Excellent writing, great acting, lots of fun. I have the official Firefly blueprints, the keychain, Blu-Rays, and a nice little model of the ship from QMX (the cheap one, not the $2500 one).
Be sure to see the whole series before you watch the movie ("Serenity.") The politics in that was pretty clear, and the plot a bit darker.