Oh, my goodness, I totally loved this movie. It has everything…romance, courage, motivation, heart.
I was initially interested because of my newfound Hispanic heritage, but it drew me in and touched my spirit. This movie is not a contrived superhero saga, but a superhero emerges. A real living, breathing superhero.
The Hernández family works long hot hours in the farm fields to eke out a living, but the stereotype ends there. José’s hands may be picking grapes in the hot sun, but his heart is in the heavens.
“¿Para qué sirven las estrellas?” he asks…What are the stars for?
You can just see his mind racing with possibilities as a dream captures his soul. His father gives José the blueprint of taking his ambition of being an astronaut from the fields to the stars: he shares his homespun plan for achieving a goal, his “ingredients for success”.
In addition to José’s father, a grade school teacher believes in him, encourages him, and helps strengthen his secret resolve to get into the NASA program. She assures him that “tenacity is a superpower”. Clutching his corn cob spaceship, José steps forward into his life armed with a mettle that only comes from someone believing in you.
Using his father’s strategy José makes his every decision with the space program in mind, but the “I regret to inform you…” letters from NASA keep coming. Year upon year.
After initially laughing at his astronaut dream, José’s wife, Adela, provides the catalyst that boosts him beyond his box of reject letters from NASA with a question.
“The people who got into the program…what do they have that you don’t?”
Adela’s willingness to sacrifice the pleasure of having a husband on hand and put her own dreams on hold to support José without playing the martyr is refreshing and inspiring. She took charge of her home and her children, plowed through the tribulations, and emerged victorious. Women of today would do well to emulate her courage, her faith, and her love.
José’s ability to hold fast to his dream with perseverance and in spite of public opinion launches into a self-improvement program that stretches the resolution of both himself and Adela. Stress tears at their family and their relationship, but together they succeed.
Adela realizes her dream of opening a restaurant and after twelve years of NASA rejects, José trades his migrant farm clothes for a blue astronaut suit and flies among the stars.
I was going to give this movie 4 ½ potatoes, but the mere fact it is a rare display of wholesome entertainment, I give it 5 potatoes!!!