October Sky (1999)

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writers (WGA):

Homer H. Hickam Jr. (book)
Lewis Colick (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Sometimes one dream is enough to light up the whole sky.

Plot:

The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.

Plot Keywords:

Rocket | Teacher | Science | Mining | Sputnik

Awards:

3 wins & 11 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Dec. 7	1:00 PM	AMC
Tue. Dec. 8	8:30 AM	AMC

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Homer Hickam
Chris Cooper	...	John Hickam
Laura Dern	...	Miss Riley
Chris Owen	...	Quentin
William Lee Scott	...	Roy Lee
Chad Lindberg	...	O'Dell
Natalie Canerday	...	Elsie Hickam
Scott Miles	...	Jim Hickam
Randy Stripling	...	Leon Bolden
Chris Ellis	...	Principal Turner
Elya Baskin	...	Ike Bykovsky
Courtney Cole-Fendley	...	Dorothy Platt (as Courtney Fendley)
David Dwyer	...	Jake Mosby
Terry Loughlin	...	Mr. Dantzler
Kailie Hollister	...	Valentine Carmina (as Kaili Hollister)

Also Known As:

Rocket Boys (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, brief teen sensuality and alcohol use, and for some thematic elements.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-3 (2004) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:II | Mexico:A | New Zealand:PG | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:7 (re-rating) | Sweden:Btl (original rating) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Finland:K-10 (2000)

Filming Locations:

Fountain City Elementary School - 2910 Montbelle Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Chris Ellis, who plays Principal Turner, also played Deke Slayton in Apollo 13 (1995) and appeared in the mini-series _"From the Earth to the Moon" (1998) (mini)_.

Goofs:

Continuity: Towards the start of the movie, Homer is walking out to his launch site with a box of rocket making "odds and ends". When he stops to talk to his three pals, the box turns 180 degrees between shots.

Quotes:

John: Elsie, I don't have the power to settle this strike.
Elsie: The bosses listen to you. They'll do what you tell them.
John: I'm not gonna crawl on my belly infront of those miserable union rats.
Elsie: Is that what this is about? Is this about your pride?
John: It's about what's best for Coalwood. If this mine doesn't produce, then the town dies. Think the union gives a damn about that? They're nothin' but a bunch of greedy sons of bitches...
Elsie: Shut up. Just shut up.
[John is silent]
Elsie: Homer once said you love the mine more than your own family. I stook up for you because I didn't want to believe it. Homer has gotten alot of help from the people in this town. They've helped him build his rockets. They've watched him fly 'em. But not you. You never showed up, not even once. I'm not asking you to believe in it, but he's your son, for God's sake. And I am asking you to help him. If you don't, I'll leave you. I'll do whatever it takes to get away from here. I will work, if that's what it takes. I'll live in a tree to get away from you. Don't think I won't.
John: Where would you go?
Elsie: [a beat] Myrtle Beach.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in My Big Break (2009)

Soundtrack:

My Prayer

Takes One Back To A Childhood In The '50s

This is a fine drama and a nice change of pace from today's more hectic and loud films. It is another solid based-on-a-true store, which still means much of it could be made up for dramatic purposes. Frankly, I don't know but I liked the story.

The story is about a young man back in the Fifties who gets interested in rocketry and wants to enter that field instead of working in the coal mines as everyone else, including his father, does in this West Virginia town. The big problem is the conflict it causes between the boy and his father, which I think was overdone. I would like to have a little less tension between the two.

The young man, still a boy, is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, one of his first staring assignments, I think. He's likable, as are his school buddies in here. It's nice to see nice kids in a modern-day film. The two other key actors in the movie are Chris Cooper (the dad) and Laura Dern (the kid's teacher who encourages him all the time.)

The cinematography is decent the 1950s soundtrack is fun to hear. Once again: I wish there more of these kind of films made today.