Indeed, Hubble's story definitely has all the elements of a Hollywood epic: high expectations dashed by a crushing blow, a comeback against all odds, a tragic loss, and ultimate success through hard work and camaraderie.

Its stars are actual astronauts: the crew of STS-125, the final space shuttle mission sent to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Atlantis astronauts actually got to be filmmakers, too, since they had to operate the IMAX 3D camera and a handful of regular HD recorders during the 13-day mission last May. Could Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock handle that?

Add a dash of cinematic star power from narrator Leonardo DiCaprio, and mix in theme park-worthy [although occasionally over the top] 3D effects that take you from the fiery base of a launch pad to a distant gas cloud filled with budding solar systems. The result, Garver thinks, is definitely Oscar-worthy. The categories she'd pick are:

* Best screenplay: It's the dramatic tale of a national failure that goes on to unlock secrets of the universe, layered with the human drama of real people putting their lives on the line for a greater good.

* Best visual effects: Weightless chicken tacos—in 3D. Not to mention vertigo-inducing dives into some of Hubble's greatest hits, from the Orion nebula to the "pillars of creation" to the farthest reaches of the universe in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field.

* Best picture: Moved by the gritty reality of war captured in The Hurt Locker? Contemplate handling razor-sharp circuit boards while traveling at 17,500 miles an hour, when all that stands between you and a complete absence of air is a few millimeters of fabric.

Plus, Garver noted, the effort would most likely blow Avatar out of the water for production value. Footage was culled from three shuttle missions. There are numerous supercomputer simulations. And Earth-based shots include an underwater scene in a six-million-gallon pool housing a full-scale Hubble replica.

Unfortunately, the run time is a mere 43 minutes. Anyone looking for an in-depth account of Hubble's journey from national embarrassment to public darling might have better luck on Wikipedia.

Still, the 2010 premiere seems especially poignant, considering that this fall will see the last space shuttle launch in American history. In fact, only four flights will launch between now and September, so if you can't make it to Florida this year, your local IMAX theater might be your last best chance to feel the thunder of liftoff.

-Victoria Jaggard

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