It is rare these days for a film to be as inspiring as A Million Miles Away . This beautifully-told biographical drama about the life of José M. Hernández, the first Mexican-American astronaut who came from very humble beginnings, is a must-see. It is to director Alejandra Marquez Abella's credit that this exceptional film is one of the year's best. Abella knows how to tell a great cinematic story and does so with mastery. The film moves at a quick pace, never wallowing in the many setbacks our hero experiences throughout his exhausting but determined journey. Instead, the audience recognizes these setbacks as the stepping stones they are, each leading Hernández to fulfilling his lifelong dream, igniting his passion even more each time they occur. Hernández is the ultimate underdog and we, his inspired audience, can't wait to see his victory. From a production standpoint, this film is near perfect. As our protagonist, Michael Peña gives an award-worthy career-best performan