Here's how to watch Stockton astronaut movie 'A Million Miles Away'

Like many success stories, it all started with a kid and a dream.

But this kid's dreams started relatively small and exploded into something bigger.

As the son of farmworkers, life didn't start easy for José M. Hernández. When his parents migrated from Michoacán, Mexico, to California in search of “the American dream,” Hernández's aspirations moved north also.

Hernández grew up in San Joaquin County and might be one of Stockton's most recognized role models.

Decades after the little boy in the field looked up to the moon and set a goal, his story motivates many readers who have read his book, “Reaching For The Stars." Now, a movie about his life is headed for Amazon Prime on Sept. 15 directed by Mexican film director and writer Alejandra Márquez Abella.

'Mijo, yes, you can do it'

On Aug. 29, applause echoed inside auditorium 13 at the Regal Stockton City Center downtown. Inside, Hernández, his family, and friends kept their eyes on the big screen as star Michael Peña was launched into orbit. It was a private screening. Some got goosebumps.

In an interview with The Record, Hernández said he hopes the movie becomes “an inspirational classic" for other children.

“It demonstrates that anything is possible with hard work, and education, the willingness to prepare yourself and not give up on yourself, have that perseverance,” Hernández told The Record.

Fourteen years ago, Hernández served as the mission specialist on the STS-128 mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched in August 2009. The purpose of the mission was to deliver equipment to the International Space Station.

The movie highlights Hernández's numerous failed attempts, 11, as he applied and struggled to get into the NASA program. He was accepted after he nailed his 12th application.

His wife, Adela Hernández, whose character is played by actress Rosa Salazar, accompanied Hernández. Joining them were his parents. The Ticuitaco, Michoacán natives, Julia and Salvador Hernández, swelled with pride during the movie.

“Estamos muy orgullosos de el,” ("We are very proud of him.") Julia Hernández told The Record before the movie screening.

She had advice for other mothers who may have children with big dreams.

“Que cuando los niños le platiquen algo, que pongan atención en ves de decir '¿U no, cuando vas hacer eso?,' (hay que) darles animo, decirles si, mijo, si puedes,” she said. ("When the kids share something, pay close attention, and instead of saying, 'No, when are you going to do that?' encourage them and tell them, Mijo, yes, you can do it.”)

'Believe'

Salvador Hernández said that when José shared he wanted to be an astronaut, he told him he could do anything.

“Soy el hombre más feliz de la tierra ahorita, me siento muy agusto y yo deseo que todos los padres lleguen a sentir lo que siento yo ahorita,” ("I am the happiest man on Earth right now, I feel at ease and I wish that all parents get to feel what I am feeling right now.") Salvador Hernández said before the movie aired.

He urged parents to follow one rule with their children, "believe."

“A los padres, que apoyen mucho a sus hijos. Que les den todo el apollo que ellos requieren y hay que creer en ellos,” (To the parents, support your children a lot. Give them all the support that they require and believe in them") Salvador said.

Hernández went from working in the fields with his parents to graduating from Franklin High School in Stockton. He moved on to the University of the Pacific, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.

Mentions of UOP, Stockton, and the San Joaquin Valley are present throughout the movie.

“We didn't try to hide the fact that I was from Stockton," Hernández said. "I'm very proud of being from Stockton. I wanted to make sure that we got our dues in terms of recognition."

'Russian it was.'

Hernández's family has always played a big role in his achievements. Adela Hernández is his champion.

“The sixth time, when I was basically ready to give it all up, I had a conversation with my wife. She posed a very important question that sort of made me think because I was ready to give up," the astronaut said. "And she asked, 'What do they have that you don't,' meaning those who just got selected. It was a profound question because I had never posed that question to myself."

His goals grew, including becoming a pilot, getting scuba certified, and adding a third language, "Russian, it was."

Hernández said this conversation with his wife was one of his favorite scenes from the movie.

"The most important part is the message, and that is for the children to know that it doesn't matter where you came from or your status in life," Adela Hernández told the crowd during an interview after the screening. "If you have a dream, never give up and persevere."

'The Stockton story'

Aside from family and friends, Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, Supervisor Tom Patti, and Supervisor Miguel Villapudua also attended.

"He's an inspiration to our community, to our city. He's an inspiration to the next generation," Lincoln told The Record. "He has an incredible story that is the Stockton story, the San Joaquin County's story of hope and opportunity, perseverance and hard work."

Lincoln brought his niece to the movie to be "inspired to pursue and achieve any dreams that she has in her life," he said. She said she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

His message to her was the night's theme: hope, perseverance, and opportunity.

"If you apply those things to your life, the sky's the limit," the mayor said.

Amazon also presented a $10,000 check to the Reaching for the Stars Foundation before the movie screening. Hernández's Stockton-based foundation focuses on introducing children to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

He said he is hopeful the foundation will "develop a support network through community engagement."

More than an astronaut

Hernández was just 10 years old when he recalls his father making him hold the antenna of their black and white television to improve reception as he watched NASA astronaut Gene Cernan walk on the moon one December night in 1972.

A night that inspired him to reach the starts too.

“Here I am, you know, watching astronaut Gene Cernan on a black and white TV holding the rabbit ear antennas for dear life to improve reception,” Hernández told The Record in 2022. “I would get up and go outside and the moon was almost full and I would come back inside and see astronaut Cernan walk on the moon, listen to the reporter still remember his name, Walter Cronkite narrating that moonwalk and that's when it hit me. I said, you know, this is for me, this is what I want to be.”

His childhood consisted of traveling back and forth from Mexico to California. He worked in the strawberry, lettuce, and grapes fields to name a few from Ontario, Salinas to Stockton.

But going to space is not Hernández's only accomplishment.

After graduating from UOP, he went on to the University of California in Santa Barbara on a full scholarship for a Master's in Electrical Engineering and went on to accept a full-time job as a co-op in college in 1987 with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Reaching for the Stars Foundation website states.

In the early 90s at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with a commercial partner, he led to a tool useful in the early detection of breast cancer. The first-ever full-field digital mammography imaging system.

When he made it to the stars, he made sure to celebrate his roots by being the first person to speak Spanish in outer space.

Hernández retired from NASA in 2011.

In 2012 Hernández ran for Congress on President Obama recommendation to run but lost his race against Jeff Denham.

His legacy will not only continue through this new film but also through his five children, especially his eldest son Julio Hernández. He recently graduated with an aerospace Ph.D. from Purdue University and aspires to become an astronaut himself.

Hernández currently lives in Manteca and owns a vineyard, Tierra Luna Cellars, where he works alongside his father Salvador.

Not only is he back to his roots but is also giving back to the next generation.

Hernández is the founder of Reaching for the Stars Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission to inspire youth to find a passion in STEM, establish family support and community engagement. He also serves as a regent on the UC Board.

“NASA’s loss was Stockton’s gain," Hernández said. "I came back to Stockton and have been here ever since."

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Here's how to watch Stockton astronaut movie 'A Million Miles Away'