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William Atherton, William Devane, Annabeth Gish, James Woods, Alex D. Linz

A chimp helps bring together a boy and his father -- as well as putting America in the lead of the space race -- in this drama, which was inspired by the true story of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission i... read more read more...n 1961. Dr. Wilhelm von Huber (James Woods) is a German expatriate scientist living in the United States in the early '60s who has been hired by the fledging National Aeronautics and Space Administration to help America launch its newly formed space program. Von Huber is recently widowed, and his son, Wilhelm II (Alex D. Linz) -- known as Billy to most of his friends -- is still dealing with the loss of his mother. The often cold and exacting Dr. von Huber is having trouble reaching out to his son, and Billy is having a hard time making friends at his new school in Florida. One day, while dropping by NASA's labs to visit his father, Billy discovers a secret: NASA has previously been using unmanned missiles in their tests, but before taking the giant step of sending a man into space, they're going to try an experimental mission with a chimpanzee on board to get a better idea of how people might be affected by space travel. Dr. Donni McGuinness (Annabeth Gish), NASA's head veterinarian, makes a deal with Billy: If he promises not to tell anyone about NASA's secret project, she'll give him a part-time job helping to train Mac the Chimp for his big flight. Billy soon becomes quite attached to his new friend Mac, and discovers it's harder than he imagined to send him into space without knowing if he'll come back safely. Race to Space also features William Atherton and William Devane, while Tyler the chimp appears as Mac. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

35% liked it

162 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

6 critics

PG, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Sean McNamara

Release Date: March 15, 2001

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DVD Release Date: August 13, 2002

Stats: 21 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (21)

  • jam233
    September 15, 2009
    jam233
    Not a bad family film at all. James Woods is fine. The story is cute and enjoyable. A satisfying feel good movie. Nice performances, always interesting. Good job.

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Critic Reviews

Nancy Churnin
March 21, 2002
Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News

It could get a whole new generation of kids looking up at the stars and wondering, 'Why not?' Full Review

Michael Rechtshaffen
March 20, 2002
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

... packs a fair amount of crowd-rousing potential.

Scott Weinberg
October 17, 2002
Scott Weinberg, Apollo Guide

According to the cuddly sweet family flick Race to Space, the birth of the United States space program was important only in relation to a silly monkey and his 12-year-old pal. Full Review

Ken Hanke
August 26, 2002
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Wow! Monkeys in orbit! Laughable non-history lesson. James Woods has the worst German accent in history

Clint Morris
June 5, 2002
Clint Morris, Moviehole

Sean MacNamara serves up an enjoyable family drama here with enough comedy, tears and adventure to entertain even the littlest of viewers

Scott Foundas
February 23, 2012
Scott Foundas, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

March 21, 2002
Arizona Republic

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
August 29, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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Race to Space Trivia

  • The basic plot outline is this: The alumni cast of a cult space TV show have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. (Clue: Historical Documents)  Answer »
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