A Million Miles Away, 2023.
Directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella.
Starring Michael Peña, Garret Dillahunt, Rosa Salazar, Bobby Soto, Julio Cedillo, Veronica Falcón, Sarayu Blue, Eric Johnson, Jordan Dean, Ashley Ciarra, Michelle Krusiec, Emma Fassler, Michael Adler, Carlos S. Sanchez, Marilyn Uribe, and Isaac Arellanes.
SYNOPSIS:
Follows Jose Hernandez, the first migrant farmworker to travel to space. A tale of perseverance, community, and sacrifice to accomplish an impossible dream.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, A Million Miles Away wouldn’t exist.
Told in comforting, family-friendly fashion, A Million Miles Away is a moving, inspiring biopic about José Hernandez, a migrant farmworker who at one point was rejected by NASA eleven times before submitting his application for a twelfth time in person, pleading his case. Whether it be casual racism or legitimate lack of experience (considering much of the film takes place across the 1980s and 1990s, it’s safe to say it was a combination of both), José (endearingly and winningly played by Michael Peña, refreshingly and skillfully slipping back into a more dramatic role reminding viewers that he is more than brilliant comedic timing and punchlines) refused to give up, holding onto the rejection letters as if they were keepsakes and something to look at to fuel his drive further.
He is also afraid to vocalize his dream to his loving wife, Adela (Rosa Salazar), who playfully laughed in his face when he told her about this dream when they first got to know one another. Meanwhile, Adela also has a dream to open a restaurant, allowing co-writer and director Alejandra Márquez Abella (penning the script alongside Bettina Gilois and Hernán Jiménez, based on the book by the real José Hernandez) to juxtapose these wildly different goals while also telling a story about sacrifice and the various reasons someone might shoot for the stars.
The film works best when it’s willing to explore the mild flaws that come from José Hernandez’s compulsive obsession with reaching space, naturally giving up time to be a father so he can go from engineer to a space center job, often finding holes in established data or proving his worth in other areas (even when he initially starts from the bottom xeroxing papers.) Once Adela realizes how serious this is to José, the relationship dynamic transitions into them sincerely supporting and motivating each other.
There are also early childhood segments (depicting televised footage of the space race and teachers that sparked his passion for science) and a look at early adulthood for José (with what appears to be a de-aged Michael Peña that mostly passes), providing insight into his life as a migrant farmer and traveling back and forth from California to Mexico, frequently ending up in different schools as his family works hard and makes sacrifices of their own to push José in the right direction to achieve his ambitious goals. Motivational relatives range from fathers to cousins, and some tragedy also pushes José to enter space. Of course, there are the usual training montages once it’s time for José to master everything from piloting to underwater diving.
This is one way of saying there is hardly anything fresh or innovative about A Million Miles Away, which primarily functions as a run-of-the-mill biopic. However, it is elevated by dramatically compelling performances, even when it occasionally leans into Wikipedia storytelling. There are also several striking shots from cinematographer Dariela Ludlow, typically framing characters far away and keeping them silhouetted in outer space darkness as they have serious discussions about these dreams.
Mostly, A Million Miles Away is simply a cozy, heartwarming tale with specificity in José Hernandez’s Mexican-American background but also universal appeal in its depiction of outer space preparation, resiliency, and pushing forward through rejection, refusing to give up on one’s dreams.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
