José Hernández was a kid who was unsure of what his life or future was going to be, but he had high hopes of becoming an astronaut. Just like the Monarch butterfly, he and his family migrated through California, following the harvest. Due to the constant moving his education suffered. Ultimately, his parents made the decision to sacrifice their dreams to own a house in order for their kids to be successful in life. While using the five ingredients to success, given to him by his father, Jose relentlessly pursues his goals.
The film consists of an accurate representation of Mexican culture and the struggles of migrant workers. Through the use of authentic Mexican music and a realistic interpretation of the support from families, the film feels nostalgic, especially for the Hispanic community. The movie often depicts common stereotypes of the culture, such as family gatherings, religious ceremonies, and food. The scenery of the film was genuine.
Although the film feels original, it has its cons when it comes to context. There was a lot of confusion. “I didn’t realize that there was a change of locations throughout the film, which was disappointing,” stated Rodrigo Garcia, A senior who was shown the film in Journalism. Nathan Gomez, another Journalism student, noticed that the CGI wasn’t up to it’s realistic standards, stating, “with recent technology, it’s hard to believe that it looked fake. I was deeply repulsed by it. I cannot watch a movie that depicts this kind of horrible CGI effect for animation.” Still, it had some great messages to convey. Sara Valencia, a freshman who watched the film in Mrs. Springer’s AVID class, says, ” I liked it; it was inspiring to see how if you get rejected, you should never give up.”
Multiple teachers on campus showed this film to their students to show that anyone is capable of achieving their dream with enough dedication. One teacher on our campus, Ms. Rocco, who showed her juniors the movie, stated, “celebrating Hispanic Heritage with my classes this month, we watched the new film A Million Miles Away. One of the most prominent quotes from the movie is when José Hernández’s best friend, Beto, says, “Who better than a migrant [for space exploration], someone who knows what it’s like to dive into the unknown?” This quote stuck out to me and, most importantly, to my students as very relatable and encouraging. Even though José Hernández’s dream seemed like it was “a million miles away,” he never gave up and he intentionally surrounded himself with a support system of family, friends, educators, and colleagues who encouraged his success and efforts. I am glad this film exists so I can share it with my classes to help to show them that the hard work and persistence that they and their families for generations are used to, is a morally centering gift, a piece of their identity they can refer to, and, after watching this film, they can cling to the knowledge that any dream is well within their reach.”
You can watch A Million Miles Away on Amazon Prime.
