A Million Miles Away
Review by Penelope B., Youth Reviewer
Alejandra Marquez Abella directed the biographical film A Million Miles Away, based on the life of José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American astronaut who was the first migrant farmworker to go to space. The film stars Michael Peña as José Hernández.
In the late 1960s, young José worked in the fields with his migrant family. It seemed that this hard life would be all he would ever know, but after watching a spacecraft launch on TV and hearing uplifting words from his teacher, José was inspired to become an astronaut one day. However, as the years passed, José fell in love, got married, had children, and worked as an engineer. It was a far better life than he could have ever imagined, yet he continued to think about his hard-to-obtain dream of going to space. After talking with his wife, José became determined to make his dream come true.
What I liked about A Million Miles Away was that it was informative while still being entertaining. I appreciated that something interesting was always happening, so the film never felt long or tedious. It held my attention while telling the true story of José Hernández’s life.
Films similar to A Million Miles Away include Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, and other biographical films about becoming an astronaut and going to space. Overall, A Million Miles Away was a good and entertaining film that I enjoyed watching. I may even watch it again.