A Million Miles Away

The inspiring true life story of Jose Hernandez, a Mexican immigrant who set his eyes and heart on the sky from the time he was a child...

There is a lot to say about the movie but; When Jose asked his father "You say you're tired but you don't show your tiredness, how do you do that?". His father's advice to him, sums up the whole movie in the best way:

1. Set your goal 2. Know how far away you are 3. Draw a roadmap 4. If you don't know how, learn it 5. (And most importantly) the moment you say "I finally did it!", you may have to try even harder.

One of the best biopics of 2023 and the motivation you're looking for ;)

Never mind the new account 10/10's, this film is very far from perfect, but a decent enough biopic film to see once. The main issue with this film is the underwhelming filmmaking with the long and dragged out first half and the very slow pacing. Although all casting and performances were decent, Pena's acting lacked urgency with blame falling on the director's inability to direct her cast effectively. The just over two hour runtime really dragged out, especially the first two acts. This film needed a good 15-20 minute trim, and the pacing picked up by at least 1.2x. The third act was by far the most engaging and entertaining. I'm sure in the hands of more experienced writers and director I would've enjoyed this more, and feel this film missed the opportunity to really showcase Jose Hernandez's incredible journey.

Whether it's from movies or from our own lives, aspiring to be a certain profession or person has never been the issue. What I deeply realize is the cost of the choices we make. Becoming a doctor, is it difficult? Yes, it's tough not in the sense of becoming a doctor itself but in the sense of whether one is willing to give up indulgence, focus on studying in medical school, work hard during internships, pass the medical licensing exams, and be willing to help and treat patients. What's truly challenging is whether one chooses not to slack off or take shortcuts in between.

In the case of Jose Hernandez portrayed by Michael Pena, he went from being a migrant farmworker to aspiring to be an astronaut. If it were me today, I might think that fulfilling such dreams requires a hefty sum of money. But this is an inspirational movie, a tale of perseverance, community, and sacrifice. It's not necessarily about being a passenger who enjoys the ride but rather becoming a valuable member that the government needs. It's like wanting to go to the United States; you can pay for a vacation or it could be a business trip or assignment required by a company, viewed from different perspectives.

I liked this movie for the honest approach it took to the times but didnt let that overshadow or even crowd the real message, which is - follow your dreams - or maybe - dreams CAN come true.

Although my mother's parents were from Mexico, I knew nothing of the culture or hardships until about 10 years ago when I took a job in South Texas and an older man shared a few stories with me. It was eye-opening, almost unbelievable to hear how hard some people had it. But he didn't only share the hard times, they had happy times, as a family.

So thankful to the writers, directors & producers for keeping us focused on the dream and not making the movie all about pain.

Because I watch movies to be entertained, to take me away from everyday life and I love a happy ending. This is a light-hearted story of not getting sidetracked while following your instincts. Great acting, music was very nice, altogether a great movie.

This is a really fine movie of a great story, of a boy named José who, as a Mexican migrant worker with his family, looked up and asked, "What are the stars for?" And then decided he wanted to become an Astronaut. As he found when he became an adult with an Engineering degree, the odds were stacked heavily against him.

I can relate, as a boy of 11, I remember standing outside with my dad, looking up in the Houston night sky and trying to spot Sputnik, the Russian satellite that became the first one in 1957. However, unlike José, I didn't have any grand dreams and I made my career here on the surface of Earth.

The adult José is played by Michael Peña, which was an excellent choice. Although born in Chicago his family were workers from Mexico, I'd bet that helped him relate to the character he played. Even though Peña was already in his 40s here, he had to play a teenager graduating from high school and with makeup it didn't seem too much out of place.

My wife and I enjoyed it at home, streaming on Prime. Excellent movie. It shows that you can never know from what background a stellar performer will originate, and the power of persistence.