The newspaper at my high school released an end of year edition that had a questionnaire for outgoing seniors, asking where they saw themselves in the next five, 10 and 20 years. My answers were wrong, but I have watched other friends pursue and achieve goals that we had 30 years ago. As someone who has followed a lot of paths in her life, it is interesting to me to watch someone hold to a singular goal. In her latest film on Prime Video, “A Million Miles Away,” director Alejandra Marquez Abella follows the story of someone who knew what he wanted from a young age.
José Hernandez (Michael Peña) was a migrant farmer with his family. Each year, they would come to America from their home in Mexico to harvest grapes. While here, he would sometimes attend school, picking up what was possible in the time he was able to attend between moving and working. One teacher saw his potential and explained to his parents that he would benefit from more stability — so his parents gave up their dream of owning a home to help him get the education that he needed. He became an engineer, but his dream was to become an astronaut. With the help of his wife Adela (Rosa Salazar), he took the classes that he needed, eventually finding his way to the NASA astronaut program and into space.
Biopics can be tough, but this one threads the needle between the fantastic story and the groundedness of the characters to make it work. Usually, we either see how one person beat all the odds to achieve a goal, or how someone used people without care in order to achieve. While this movie obviously shows a huge amount of perseverance from Hernandez, it is clear he gets to space because of the support and sacrifice of those who love him.
The cast does a lovely job. Peña gives a surprisingly understated performance that serves the story well. His chemistry with Salazar is fantastic and she does a phenomenal job, stealing every scene that she’s in. Another standout is Michelle Krusiec as Miss Young, Hernandez’s teacher. She only has a few scenes, but they all pack a lot of emotional punch.
In the film, Hernandez’s father gives him a recipe for success. One of the last pieces is, “When you think you’ve made it, you probably have to work harder.” We see this played out in his story. What his father doesn’t tell him, but is apparent, is “You can’t get there on your own.” We often applaud the self-made man, giving little thought to the people who gave him the means to reach his goals. “A Million Miles Away” lauds hard work, but reminds each of us that whatever successes we have, they come because of forces larger than just us. So work harder, and know that others are working hard for you as well.
ALISE CHAFFINS is a Morgantown writer who reviews a movie from a streaming service every Saturday and one newly in theaters every Sunday. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack.
