A Million Miles Away (film)
| A Million Miles Away | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Alejandra Marquez Abella |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Reaching for the Stars by José M. Hernández |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
Production company | Select Films |
| Distributed by | Amazon Studios |
Release date |
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Running time | 121 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Million Miles Away is a 2023 American biographical drama film detailing the life of José M. Hernández, the first Mexican-American astronaut, who is played by Michael Peña. It was directed by Alejandra Marquez Abella from a screenplay written by Bettina Gilois and re-written by Hernán Jiménez and Abella, based on Hernandez's autobiography Reaching for the Stars.
A trailer for the film was released on August 15, 2023,[1] and the film debuted on Amazon Prime on September 15, 2023.
Plot
José M. Hernández is the child of immigrant farm workers who toils with his family in the fields, though his parents also see that he attends school. One day a teacher assigns his class to write an essay on what they dream of doing. That night, José watches the Apollo moon mission launch, and immediately decides he wishes to become an astronaut. He engages in years of hard work and study to become a NASA engineer, and unsuccessfully applies for the astronaut training program numerous times before he is finally accepted.
Cast
- Michael Peña as José M. Hernández[2]
- Garret Dillahunt as Frederick W. Sturckow[3]
- Rosa Salazar as Adela Hernández[3]
- Bobby Soto as Beto[3]
- Julio César Cedillo as Salvador[3]
- Verónica Falcón as Julia[3]
- Sarayu Blue as Kalpana Chawla[3]
- Eric Johnson as Clint Logan[3]
- Jordan Dean as Weissberg[3]
- Ashley Ciarra as Marisa[3]
- Michelle Krusiec as Miss Young[3]
- Carlos S. Sanchez as Julio (Age 11)[3]
- Isaac Arellanes as Julio (Age 16)[3]
- Emma Fassler as Stacey[3]
- Isabel Aerenlund as Nicole Stott
- Michael Adler as Anderson[3]
Production
In July 2022, Amazon Studios acquired the distribution rights to the film, which was previously in development at Netflix. Filming took place in Mexico City.[2]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 38 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Thanks in part to a pair of appealing lead performances, A Million Miles Away is one inspirational biopic that mostly avoids heavy-handed gimmicks."[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5]
The New York Times wrote that the film was "[b]eautifully shot and interspersed with historical footage of migrant workers and spacecraft launches", stating that its "most effective and touching scenes revolve around the family relationships", while also noting that "the grit narrative at times becomes a bit heavy-handed".[6]
References
- ^ "'A Million Miles Away' trailer previews true-life story of astronaut José Hernández". collectSPACE.com. August 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Kit, Borys (July 19, 2022). "Michael Pena to Star as Astronaut Jose Hernandez in A Million Miles Away for Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Grobar, Matt (September 1, 2022). "A Million Miles Away: Garret Dillahunt Joins Michael Peña In Prime Video Astronaut Pic Based On True Story". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "A Million Miles Away". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ "A Million Miles Away". Metacritic. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ León, Concepción de (September 14, 2023). "'A Million Miles Away' Review: From the Fields to Outer Space" – via NYTimes.com.