October Sky tells the true story of Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal). He is a high school boy from a coal mining town in West Virginia. Unless you were able to get a football scholarship the chances of getting out of Coalwood were small. Homer does not fit the bill of a football player and refuses to become another miner. Instead he sets his sights on what's above the earth rather than below it. In the wake of the first Sputnik launch Homer decides to take up rocketry without the approval of his coal miner father John (Chris Cooper).
This film is a small slice of life depicting the perseverance of Homer and his friends to make something of their lives. They receive little support from the majority of the town members who believe that there's not much else to life besides mining coal and playing football. October Sky takes the dreams of four high school boys and inspires those who believe that you can become something bigger than the life society deems for you.
The screenplay is well written, the acting top notch, and the story is bigger than the setting. This small period piece is amazingly uplifting and can touch a wide audience. It is a family movie and is one that all can enjoy regardless of age.
I first saw this film in theaters when I was eight. Over fifteen years later I still find this movie as inspirational as the first time I saw it. I keep it on my shelf under movies that will lift me up. It is simple but extraordinary at the same time. This little gem should be on everyones list to watch. I think it is a movie that will never be outdated and one that will stay with all those that have seen it.
This film is a small slice of life depicting the perseverance of Homer and his friends to make something of their lives. They receive little support from the majority of the town members who believe that there's not much else to life besides mining coal and playing football. October Sky takes the dreams of four high school boys and inspires those who believe that you can become something bigger than the life society deems for you.
The screenplay is well written, the acting top notch, and the story is bigger than the setting. This small period piece is amazingly uplifting and can touch a wide audience. It is a family movie and is one that all can enjoy regardless of age.
I first saw this film in theaters when I was eight. Over fifteen years later I still find this movie as inspirational as the first time I saw it. I keep it on my shelf under movies that will lift me up. It is simple but extraordinary at the same time. This little gem should be on everyones list to watch. I think it is a movie that will never be outdated and one that will stay with all those that have seen it.