Knox Daniel - A Million Miles Away

 I saw A Million Miles Away with my family while celebrating my mom’s birthday. At the time, I would have rather played a board game, but I ended up writing my term paper about this movie, so I’m very glad we watched it. While watching, I felt that the main character, Mexican-American astronaut Jose M. Hernandez, was a perfect example of a modern day hero’s journey. While his tale isn’t necessarily mythical like Gilgamesh or Aeneas, it is still an epic story. Hernandez began as the son of migrant farmworkers in California, who sacrificed their hopes of owning a home in Michoacan to support Jose’s education. This is an example of sacrificial love, or the Greek agape. Heroical tropes such as the second self appear in the film in the form of Jose’s wife, Adela, who is charismatic where he is shy. I enjoyed A Million Miles Away much more than I was expecting; it tells an inspiring story without glossing over hardships or being too cheesy. 


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