In the 1960s a young woman works at NASA as an animal trainer responsible for the chimpanzee who will go into space.
This movie is more of a historically inspired children's fantasy. It centers around a young boy who's widowed father, Dr. Huber (James Woods), is the preiminent German rocket scientist at NASA during the early space program. Patterned after Werner Von Braun, Dr. Huber is trying to raise his son Billy (Linz) as a proud German while the son is much happier being an all American kid. In addition to fighting the ever present cultural conflict, Dr. huber is faced with political intrigue and ruthless competitors.
The story is mostly about Billy's relationships with various space program employees (engineers, animal trainers and astronauts) and with the other kids who often see him as a German. The space program serves largely as a backdrop to a story of a child caught between two cultures. A good movie for kids and space buffs it is a fictional (and at times fantastical) account of the very early space program as seem from Billy's eyes.
Excellent special effects and accurate minitaures.
