User Reviews

A Smile as Big as the Moon is truly an inspirational, entertaining and thought provoking movie. If you've ever felt different or not-quite-good-enough, you might relate to the challenges this group of kids endure on a daily basis, and you'll be touched by the leaps and bounds achievable with a big imagination and a big heart. This film has a great cast of young actors that do an incredible job of portraying the successes attainable through teamwork, friendship, dedication and a sense of self worth.

I watched this movie twice in two days, once with my husband and the other time with my daughter. There are a lot of great lessons to be learned and shared. I highly recommend this movie.

Mike Kersjes (John Corbett) is the special ed teacher and football coach. Robynn McKinney (Jessy Schram) is his eager new co-teacher. His students run the gamete along the behavioral problem spectrum. He struggles to make the program work and connect with his kids. Kersjes comes up with an idea to shoot for space camp. Camp director Dr. Deborah Barnhart (Cynthia Watros) is initially reluctant.

The story is simple. The acting is anchored by a couple of good actors. Some of the kids seem to be played by real handicapped kids and they deliver some real emotional power. The overall story may not be that dramatic but there is plenty of goodness here especially in the little moments.

The movie, which stars John Corbett, is based on the memoir by teacher Mike Kersjes with Joe Layden in the 1980′s. It gives an inside look into the way one educator empowered special needs students who were often bullied by others to find compassion and respect for everyone.[3] In the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, many of the special-ed students were played by young actors who have Down syndrome, autism and learning disabilities. Space Camp is a competitive education program at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Even though it's designed for gifted science students, Mike, a special education teacher and football coach at a Michigan high school, decides participating in the science program would do wonders for the self-esteem of his students – especially Ben, a boy with Down syndrome, who dreams of becoming an astronaut.

Aided by fellow teacher Robynn McKinney, Mike faces incredible obstacles in trying to make his dream become reality. School administrators oppose the plan as being too expensive. Space Camp officials are skeptical: They've never had special-ed kids apply before.

At long last, Mike and his students are given the green light. And then the real challenges begin, over nine months of rigorous teaching, learning, training and fund-raising. The kids are belittled and in some cases bullied by their fellow classmates, but Mike finds a way to keep them on track. He even convinces the school's football team, his other students, to help them prepare for the intense physical challenges of Space Camp. The class finally leaves for Huntsville, Alabama. Will kids with Down syndrome, Tourette's, learning disabilities and emotional problems be able to leave their baggage behind, coalesce into a team, and compete with some of the brightest students from across the country!

In this fact-based Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, Mike Kersjes is a special education teacher and football coach at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1988.

On a field trip to a planetarium, Mike's easily distracted students start misbehaving and are taken out. The school is informed that the students shouldn't come back. Ben, who has Down's Syndrome, took a bunch of brochures for space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, and once they are back on the bus, he hands them out to the other students, and even after arriving home, Ben wants to go to space camp.

It's a crazy idea, but Mike is willing to consider this because he believes such an experience will be good for his kids, who are often told what they can't do and not given chances to prove what they can do. His co-teacher Robynn tries to talk Mike out of it but if Mike is told no, he says he won't pursue it further. Mike is told no and asks to speak to a supervisor. Then he is essentially told no once again but given the option of submitting a proposal. Which he does, despite being told he is out of his mind by Principal Keller. But Ben's father is on the school board and can go over the principal's head.

The kids like the idea, and Mike and Robynn travel to Huntsville to meet with Col. Wechsler, who has the final say. Believe it or not, even though Dr. Barnhart has shown the teachers what is involved and tried to discourage Mike from continuing to pursue this, the mission is a go. As long as Mike can raise the $50,000 required to get the kids there. And as long as the kids successfully complete the training required to make sure they can benefit from the experience rather than embarrassing themselves and the school and guaranteeing no other "special" children will get to attend space camp. And as long as the kids don't do anything else to get in trouble so the principal can definitely say no.

It's an uphill battle. And many of the other students at the school, including the football players who start feeling their head coach is neglecting them, continue to make fun of these "losers". What they will have to learn to do is what Jackie Robinson learned to do (though he isn't mentioned, this pioneer in baseball had to endure all sorts of abuse without fighting back).

These kids are not losers, of course. One man who knows that is Big Dan, who has Ben and one of the other boys working in one of his burger restaurants. He wishes all his employees were as good as they are. And most of the kids have specific talents. Some are even geniuses in their own way but can't function in a normal classroom. They just have to learn to use their strengths and work together.

You know if the movie was made, they somehow made it to Huntsville and probably conducted themselves admirably. Sure, there may still be obstacles even there, but so what? They made it, right?

Everyone does a good job in this movie. John Corbett carries the movie capably and pushes the children to do their best. Jessy Schram is not merely pretty but a fine assistant in Mike's efforts. Her best scene is the one in Huntsville that apparently makes all the difference. Robynn is from the South and knows how to be charming in the way other Southerners expect.

All the young actors with lines do a good job (I seem to recall several kids who didn't have lines but made the trip). Whether the actors are disabled or not I can't say, but either way they all did really well. Any actors who aren't disabled are quite convincing as kids with problems, and all of the kids make us care. And if they are disabled, they have quite a challenge but meet the standard.

Logan Huffman is the standout member of the group; Scott is dyslexic but constantly asks to be put in with the "normal" students; he takes tests to prove he can function in regular classes, but eventually stops making fun of the others and starts working with them. And Mike wants him to be a leader, which he doesn't believe he can be. Oh, yes, he can.

Space camp is everything it needs to be. It really looks like training for astronauts, and teaches the viewers about the science and the various challenges astronauts face.

And all of this can be watched by the whole family. There is some name-calling and minor violence, but nothing objectionable.

The term "The Right Stuff" is used here. This movie has that.

Hi All, My Name is Chelsea Monroe, I am 23 years old, When I was born all those years ago, my parents were soo happy to be having a little baby girl, but when I couldn't talk, when I should have;they thought it was very abnormal. When I was four I started to talk and even then I was put into Speech Therapy Classes.

My School Years were very hard with a Reading, Writing, Math Disabilities. I remember having my shoes tied together and many others picking on me. I also remember hearing some teachers telling my parents that "If I graduate High School it would be a Miracle".

Even to this day its still a struggle to over come my disabilities but I push through and have graduated from High School, taken a few years of College before I left Michigan to live and work at Disney World here in Orlando, FL as a Photographer. When people meet me they might brush me off as weird, but when they get to know me and find out I had went through this they are very surprised that I overcame a Disability, even that I had one.

Why I thought this movie was great was because its a movie about Special Education that is meaningful and shows that Smiles are as big as the moon and you can do anything you set your mind too......just look at me :) -Chelsea

I've spent a couple of days trying to figure out how I feel about this movie. I think you'll know from the synopsis if this is your *type* of movie. I found it an interesting story even if the characters were all rather generic types and a little flat. The acting was fine and didn't distract from the story. I found the kids believable and the teachers sympathetic.

I wanted the movie to deal in more depth with how the kids were treated at school. As it was written, their treatment was pretty cliché (although it doesn't mean it wasn't accurate). I also wanted more details on special accommodations the kids may have gotten while at camp. And I couldn't help wondering if there wasn't a legal avenue to get special needs children into Space Camp.

Overall, I did like the movie. I appreciate that it didn't push too hard for an emotional response.

I stumbled upon this program as I was doing homework for my instructional Strategy for Students at Risk class. I have never reviewed anything for IMDb, but wanted to promote "Moon." I found it particularly true and exciting to see the teacher's revelation (via his wife) to take such a complex curriculum (such as space camp's), and make it work for his class for students with LD (Learning Disabilities). They had one year to prepare for the program, and the co-teachers put together "something" for this purpose. It was totally successful. You can see some differentiated instruction techniques in process. Also, the fact that it is not uncommon for students with LD to have exceptional or significant gifts was reflected. It showed many aspects of the struggles and triumphs of students with LD. I liked how the teachers pushed their students beyond themselves. This movie shows all of us how acceptance, encouragement (and cheer leading), perseverance, and teamwork is accomplished. I'd like to say more, but I don't want to ruin it for you.

A Smile as Big as the Moon told us a story. Hallmark did it well, made it believable, and imparted a little vision for all of us. Did you catch it?

I loved this movie. I do not know if its because I am a teacher and I love ALL teacher movies or is it because I had people tell me that I could not succeed in school and go to college because I had a learning disability.

Well to those people that said I can't: Read this : I am a certified Early Childhood teacher with a Master's degree in Early Childhood. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

I would like to own the DVD of this movie or read the book. Since it was based on a true story--I think that the book would be great as well.

I had really looked forward to seeing this movie as i thought the subject matter was great, but I actually hated it - so superficial and banal and ridiculously sentimental and unbelievable. The acting was pretty awful all around but Louise Linton in particular was horrifyingly bad. She was supposedly a counselor for special education students but I thought she was completely unbelievable as an empathetic person. It seemed to me that her image was the most important thing to her and I could almost picture her directing every shot to make sure it highlighted her best profile. I can't believe she calls herself an actress - let's hope we don't see any more of her. Don't waste your time on this piece of fluff.

This film brought tears of Joy to my eyes as I watched it. Anyone who doesn't like this movie needs to have their emotions checked out!

There are so many great aspects of this film..The kid actors were fabulous and of course John Corbett does a great job as always.. The guy who played the owner of Big Dan's was really good and the voice of the Space Camp judge I loved. The judge really made me feel like he was also pulling for these kids.

This is one of the best TV movies I have seen in a long long time.. Way to go ABC and Hallmark!

I would highly recommend this movie! The best part is you can watch it with you kids, not many movies I can say that about.

Based on a true story, I loved the movie. While this was a movie and they condensed the story, it was well told. The struggles that these children face every day was addressed. How often they are misunderstood and picked on because they are different. They do have to rise above the stupidity and prejudice. Often they are expected to be the bigger person. Also it did show how having just one person behind you to believe when everyone else is telling your not enough ...Reaching for the stars is possible. Another story of how they are different and not less. Sometimes a movie can be a life lesson and I think this is just that. As a paraprofessional in a junior high, I would recommend showing this to our students in all classes; AP as well as Special Ed.

Extras really made the movie. Extras like Hunter Morris, and Seth McRollins starred. These are local kids enrolled in the flight simulator program next door! They truly added depth to the feature film. Also, the main character as the teacher did a great job of portraying the hardships of chasing a love. Great location, great on- screen effects, and perfectly romantic. Great job by Hallmark. Luved it!

We really loved this movie as a family. How can you not love John Corbett in anything? He's such a great actor esp in this movie.

I really enjoyed this movie. I found myself cheering these kids on wanting them to do well. I am so glad they were given the opportunity and so happy that their teacher did not settle because they had challenges. They learned so much more than just sitting in the classroom. I Had just got back from Huntsville Alabama and The Rocket center is so worth seeing. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 4/13/21.

This movie is missing the most important part; the part that very few writers can understand and therefore the world desperately needs. This movie is missing the good feelings; the support and understanding and the love. If you do not understand that, then you also need to see the part that is missing.

I truly doubt that the real-life teacher motivated by yelling and criticizing as was shown in this movie.

I think this movie does a great disservice to the world by giving the impression that this is the way that great things are accomplished. I hope someday someone will make movies show how love is really done.