Plus tard, j'atteindrai les étoiles

Wow! What a film ive seen after a long time. Its totally human and natural. I dont see directors over doing it which makes it beautiful. He is a family man with ambitions and I am glad that the portrayal of migrants is excellent. Would strongly recommend it to parents/students looking for some inspirational content. The acting was marvelous. The sets were great as well. The film portrays American rural life, ambitious struggle for education and a dream larger than life. Moreover its humanized in every sense as it portrays rich family and cultural values amongst migrants. A true definition of American dream for outsiders. Beautiful film!!!!!

Viva Michael Pena. One thing comes to mind, a true story is a true true you can't make it up, everything else becomes technicality.

Another thing to me it doesn't mater where you coming from because it's all about soul and tenacity and persistance and character, and I could go on and on, they are not enough movies like this one these days, it reminds us today, when we certainly do need it, what America is all about. Actors are wonderful, their acting is so transparent they have created a movie so real it seems we are living every second of their lives.

And of course I wasn't crying watching the movie, I got something in my eye.

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.

Greetings again from the darkness. A tongue-in-cheek note just prior to the closing credits provide us with one final smile: "Jose is the first migrant farmworker to have traveled to space." This footnote encapsulates what this biopic is all about - dreams, commitment, sacrifice, and overcoming obstacles. Writer-director Alejandra Marquez Abella and co-writers Bettina Gilois and Hernan Jimenez adapted this from Jose Hernandez's memoir, "Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut", creating a wonderful (and yes, inspirational) viewing experience for the entire family. In fact, it's the perfect selection for family movie night (other than the youngest kids who won't understand the themes).

Superb character actor Michael Pena (the underrated END OF WATCH, 2012) takes the lead as Jose Hernandez, who grew up in a family of migrant farmworkers bouncing from town to town for harvesting work in the fields. Even as a child, Jose worked alongside his family whenever he wasn't in school. And it was one teacher in particular who went above and beyond to change the trajectory of Jose's life. Recognizing his potential, and his dream of going to space, the teacher spoke with respect to his parents in terms that made sense. Her actions, along with Jose's dad passing along his recipe for success ... the five ingredients serve as chapters in the film ... allowed Jose to passionately pursue his dreams.

Along the way, Jose met and married Adela (Rosa Salazar, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, 2019), and the two began a partnership and a family ... a large family. The theme of family is present throughout Jose's story, as support and sacrifice are necessary at every step. We see group hugs in good times and bad. We see doses of reality when needed, and we learn that "tenacity is a superpower" as Jose begins his years-long pursuit of being accepted into NASA - a goal he achieved after eleven letters of regret.

Everyone faces obstacles, and some are greater than others. What sets some folks apart is their motivation to continue the pursuit. Perhaps words of wisdom from a parent or spouse hits at just the right time, or maybe it's that one teacher who inspires a "can do" approach with a response to the "When I grow up ..." essay assignment. Whatever else is involved, we recognize the tenacity that Jose displayed, and this film will likely inspire others to follow their own dreams. Supporting roles are played well by Julio Cesar Cedillo and Veronica Falcon as Jose's parents, Garret Dillahunt and Sarayu Blue as astronauts, and Bobby Soto as a special cousin. Pena flashes the charm and likability to become the hero we admire, and director Abella eschews the cliches expected from such a story. The actual clips and photos at the end only add to this heartwarming movie perfectly suited to family movie night.

Premiers on Prime Video on September 15, 2023.

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.