Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
Entry updated 30 January 2017. Tagged: Film.
Tv documentary film (1993). Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education. Directed by Rob Mikuriya. Written by Stephen R Heard, Rob Mikuriya, Roger Scott Olsen, and Willie Reale. Cast includes Cathy Bates, Christine Cousins, Joseph Cousins, Raymond Cruz, Jaime Escalante, Rodney A Grant, Jackée Harry, Esai Morales, Pat Morita, Vincent Schiavelli, James Stephens III, Jeffrey Tamblor, Billy Bob Thornton, Sheila Tousey, Jesse Ventura and "Weird Al" Yankovic. 58 minutes. Colour.
This documentary's frame story features high school math teacher Escalante advising a discouraged student, Arturo (Cruz); moving into the future, Escalante reads letters from former students now working in outer space. These introduce vignettes that illustrate the everyday life of space residents: Arturo flies to the Moon, astronauts endeavour to deflect a dangerous Asteroid, miners work in the asteroid belt, and the inhabitants of the Moon confront a driving test, address housekeeping issues, and interview job applicants. There are also excerpts from interviews with experts in the field of Space Flight. Overall, despite its surprisingly impressive cast, this documentary's episodes tend to be too brief and frivolous to have much of an impact, either as involving drama or as an incentive to high school students to devote more time to studying mathematics and science. [GW]
see also: Space Documentaries.
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