Customer Reviews

October Sky

5 star:		(125)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a rocket scientist from a top five university, I am astonished about how much this movie correlates with my own experiences. Not only is this movie a great representation of the glory of flight, it also encompasses the human spirit. This movie is not just for rocket enthusiasts. It is for anybody that has had a dream or a passion and let nothing get in the way of it. This movie is captivating and motivating.

If you have not read the book "Rocket Boys" you will probably love this movie. It is beautifully filmed, well acted, and fast paced. It depicts the life of a teenage boy growing up in small-town West Virginia, and contains plenty of teenage high jinxes. What makes Homer/Sonny different from the other teenagers is his passion for rocketry. Some of the scenes showing errant rockets - intended to be humorous - are downright scary. Even with less erratic rockets, the experiments performed are very dangerous.

But if your have read "Rocket Boys" prior to seeing the movie, you might notice something missing. The book is far more mordant. Read carefully. Just below the surface you will find a Dantesque world view. First, there is the community of Coalwood itself -- with its petty squabbles and tribulations. Beneath Coalwood is a netherworld, symbolized by a coal mine with the curious name Olga. In this inferno men toil for hours without being able to stand upright for a single moment. Above Coalwood is the celestial realm. Ironically it is symbolized by sputnik - a satellite launched by the USSR. But regardless who launched it, it symbolizes that man is not excluded from the celestial realm.

Both Homer/Sonny and his mother look skyward for a better life. The mother does so by painting flying seagulls over a balmy beach. Her dream is to relocate to Myrtle Beach.
Homer's dream is to escape via rocket - not literally of course, but by mastering rocketry, and then getting a job with Werner von Braun.
Homer's father holds their dreams in contempt. He is fully convinced that their future -- and the future of America -- is tied to keeping the mine productive and strong. He loves the mine. If he recognized its hellish side, he excuses it as necessary evil.

My complaint is that none of this is apparent in the movie. This is a "feel-good" movie. It depicts Coalwood as vanishing small-town America. It is a place where life is simple, problems have solutions, and good eventually prevails. In short, the real hero of the movie - but not the book -- is the father with his "practical" vision. While there is nothing wrong with the "feel-good" genre as such, the movie does not reflect the book.
Since both claim to be "memoirs," one is left wondering which is the more accurate.

This movie is insanely inspirational. If you buy any positive movie for your collection, think about this one. It tells the story of Homer Hickam and the Rocket boys. Just after the USSR launched Sputnik (the first manmade satellite), the US had to play catch-up.

At this time is when a kid (Homer) decides to build a Rocket. The movie is the quest to build a working rocket and get the hell out of the little coal mining community he is stuck in. He has dreams to get to college and work for NASA.

Will he accomplish his dreams??? Hells yea! After he makes it through two science fairs and his father. This is one of those rare movies that will make you a better person for having seen it. Do yourself the favor and get this movie.

Homer Hickam is a ordinary coalminer teen.His dad is head of the mine and he raises hell a lot.Homer has a tough time getting close.His biggest sore point is that he detests the mine.He doesn't want to end up under the earth forever.He trys football.Thats the only way any of his friends have gone to collage.He fails in that.He wishes a girl would notice him.He does have two loyal friends.Then everything changes with Sputnik.Seeing it flying over the stars above his head is the moment when he realizes his calling.Soon he starts thinking about rockets.Why not build one? He goes to the poor nerdy boy for help.Soon the four have become allies.Homers first attempt in the science of rockets goes flat(well,the fence goes flat).His dad is angry and tells him to quit this craze.Homer won't do it,so he goes off in the woods and starts testing rockets.Some go nutty,some explode.Nothing works.Finally,when the whole town is there to watch,it happens.The rocket soars high.His teacher tells him to enter his rocket designs in the science fair.It seems like sucess is at hand when Homer's dad gets hurt.Homer must go down in the mine and work to support the family.His dream is shattered.
Does Homer Hickum get a scolarship with his rocket? Watch and see.

Chris Cooper...Laura Dern...Jake Gyllenhaal...Three of the best talents in the world in one film!
No one could ask for a more inspiring story, especially for the youths of the world. Four kids up against authority to achieve higher learning and actually succeed despite the setbacks they face.
Jake Gyllenhaal was perfectly cast as the smart, earnest young Homer Hickam who has to fight his own father and high school principal to follow his dreams of working for NASA. He and his friends know they have the odds stacked against them, yet they work their butts off overcoming many obstacles along the way simply to avhieve a common goal - getting a better education and getting out of dead-end Coalwood.
Dad John Hickam, portrayed by the always awesome Chris Cooper, is unfortunately underutilized, as he always seems to be. Make no doubt, he plays his part well, but after reading the book Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, Jr, you know that there is much more to the relationship between father and son that is not even touched upon in the movie. John Hickam was not the seemingly cold man he was portrayed to be, but I guess that's what makes for good drama.
Laura Dern is also underutilized but is a character that helps to bouy everybody's spirits with the absolute faith she holds in the boys and their goal.
The rest of the cast provides above-adequate support, especially the friends of Homer with their humor and even the in-group squabbling that is inevitable in a group of boys of that age.
Joe Johnston does a good job capturing the conflict Homer has of whether to follow his heart or his father's wishes for him. The astmosphere of the dreary coal mining town was also captured perfectly by the art director and set decorator.
Overall, I loved this movie right from the get-go and bought it also for my step-father, as he is very much into all things science, who was blown away by the performances and the story.
If you are a parent who is trying to light a fire under your kid's butt to aspire to a higher education, or if you are just looking for an inspiring story to uplift your own spirits, this is the film to do so, as well as entertain people of all ages. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

While I do not see too many films when they are released in theaters, I raced out to catch this one because it seemed to carry such an inspiring message. I'll never forget the mamazing feeling in my heart when I left the movie theater that evening. I could not help but stare up into the sky, feeling like I could reach out and grab the stars.

Jake Gyllenhaal perfectly captures the essence of Homer Hickam. While the movie is heavy on melodrama, its perfectly necessary to get the message across. The life that was laid in front of Homer when he was born was not a pleasant one. He was going to work in the mines. His father knew, as did the whole town. But Homer doesn't accept this and his mother and teacher make sure that he does not quit.

Chris Cooper is unbelievable. I had not seen his previous work and had no idea who he was. After October Sky I pledged to never miss one of his films, and have yet to be disappointed.

The directing is a littleover-the-top and the screenplay had to do a lot of strecthing to make the movie accessible, but these changes do not detract from the story, they enhance it. Two scenes capture how this works. The "Rocket Boys" have been struggling with their propellant for a long time and can't get it right. Finally, they chance upon a solution that might work and when they got to test it, the entire high school and half the town is there to watch. Horrified at the prospect of screwing up in front of the entire town, Homer realizes he has no choice; he can't back down now. When the fuse is lit and the rocket soars perfectly into the sky, you heart swells with pride for what these boys accomplished.

And the final scene between Homer and his father still chokes me up as I think about it now. Homer has his speech where he thanks everyone and to his surprise, there is his father, who he invites to press the button to send the last rocket airborne. As his father watches the rocket fly, even he is impressed by what his son accomplishes and he lovingly puts his arm around his shoulders. A beautifully shot scene.

Now did these scenes happen exactly like this? The book shows us that they did not. But that doesn't matter. The art of film and the art of writing are completely different. The scenes are precisely what they need to be to put the message across visually. The emotions that these images provoke are visceral, and that is why the movie is so powerful.

The supporting cast are wonderfully understated, especially Laura Dern and Chris Owen. The movies beutifully shot and the screenplay is a nice adaptation of a book that is difficult to visualize. Thank you to all involved for giving me a movie that makes me cry every time I watch. I look forward to watching this movie with my children as they grow up.

Having read Homer H. Hickam's wonderful memoir, 'Rocket Boys', upon which October Sky is based, I decided to buy the DVD blind as the film did not recieve a national theatrical release in the UK, my home. I must say I rather enjoyed it. Joe Johnston has made a warm, evocative film but one feels he failed to make the most of his source material. Lewis Colick's script seems to skip over or marginalise the very elements that made 'Rocket Boys' such a gripping, moving read. However, the cast is very charming, there's plenty of laughs and smiles to be had, and it's a hard heart that isn't moved at the film's end. It's no Stand By Me, but October Sky is a great film. As for the disc: picture is superb, sound a little ropey (it's hard to make out what the characters are saying sometimes), and given that the film is based on a true story, the bonus material would have greatly benefited from a documentary.

October Sky has such a positive message. However,I was disappointed that there was so much profanity in it. I realize that the people in it probably did swear in real life but I still think that it should have been omitted. I purchase DVDs for our church library and because of the profanity I did not feel that it was suitable. Is there any way that you could purchase it without the swearing?

Inspirational true story about a young man who really did grow up to be a rocket scientist!

This movie is one of our favorite feel good movies. Full of inspiration to always follow your dreams, no matter what. Interesting disfunctional family dynamics provide the opportunity to learn about that as well. For those who dream of following their own stars, this movie is a must.