Description
Coalwood, West Virginia, 1957. Working in the coal mines is an inescapable way of life in this small town. When high schooler Homer Hickam, Jr. (Jake Gyllenhaal) sees the Sputnik satellite in the night sky, he dares to break free of the mines and reach for the stars. With the support of his teacher (Laura Dern) and three friends, Homer sets out on an inspiring quest to build his own rocket. Overcoming a poor education, a tough father (Chris Cooper) and a series of misfires, Homer turns his dreams into reality in this incredible true story of hope, determination and triumph. "You’ll laugh with it, cry with it, and go away absolutely loving it," says Robert Butler (Knight Ridder News Service) of the critically acclaimed October Sky.

This special edition dvd includes:

*Aiming High: The Story of the Rocket Boys, starring the real Rocket Boys.
*Feature Commentary with Homer Hickam
*Spotlight on Location
*Production Notes
*Theatrical Trailer

Amazon.com
Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr., October Sky emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999--a small miracle of good ol' fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Hickam's true story begins in 1957 with Russia's historic launch of the Sputnik satellite, and while Homer (played with smart idealism by Jake Gyllenhaal) sees Sputnik as his cue to pursue a fascination with rocketry, his father (Chris Cooper) epitomizes the admirable yet sternly stubborn working-man's ethic of the West Virginia coal miner, casting fear and disdain on Homer's pursuit of science while urging his "errant" son to carry on the family business--a spirit-killing profession that Homer has no intention of joining.

As directed by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer), this wonderful movie is occasionally guilty of overstating its case and sacrificing subtlety for predictable melodrama. But more often the film's tone is just right, and the spirit of adventure and invention is infectiously conveyed through Gyllenhaal and his well-cast fellow rocketeers, whose many failures gradually lead to triumph on their makeshift backwoods launching pad. Capturing time and place with impeccable detail and superbly developed characters (including Laura Dern as an inspiring schoolteacher), October Sky is a family film for the ages, encouraging the highest potential of the human spirit while giving viewers a clear view of a bygone era when "the final frontier" beckoned to the explorer in all of us. --Jeff Shannon

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 291 reviews)

October Sky

Very nice movie of a true story of a group of four high school boys in a town that is owned and run exclusively for and by a coal mine. The major boy's father is a fanatic coal miner in a management role that believes he and his family live for and breathe [literaly] coal dust for the good of the mine. An older son has football capabilities and is the pride of the father. There is no purpose to learning anything but mining.

Major character is consummed by science and the possibilities after the Russians launch Sputnik. It is an endearing story, well done with a low budget. Laura Dunn [Jusasik Park] is a very supportive and encouraging character [science teacher] that seems to be the only support of these lads' and their adventures and hopes of doing something better than digging coal at 2,000 feet below ground like their dads, uncles, brothers and friends seem doomed to do.

You will be lifted up by this inspirating story. Great for family get together night.
September 15, 2008

Great Movie

This is a fantastic show with great moral lessons and a good historical context. Again, it's good to have quality movies instead of rated "R" tripe.
September 10, 2008

A wonderful movie to share with family and friends.

Generally speaking my wife and I do not go to the movies. We both agree that the overwhelming majority of films being produced today are vulgar, poorly written, and that the special effects in most are greatly overdone. We generally prefer to stay at home and watch classic movies from the 1940's and 1950's. So you can imagine our surprise when, while vacationing in a little town in New Hampshire in the fall of 1999, we came across a showing of "October Sky" at the local one screen movie house. Finally, an intelligent movie that we both were excited about seeing! We eagerly purchased our tickets and settled into this little theater for what we hoped would be a very enjoyable evening.
"October Sky" transports the audience back into a time and place that anyone under the age of 35 or so simply cannot relate to. Coalwood, WV was a "company" town where the overwhelming majority of breadwinners worked for the mining company. It was just assumed by parents and teachers alike that the vast majority of male offspring were destined to follow their dads into the dark, damp, dreary and dangerous coal mine. These working families barely scraped by with the meager wages they earned and most "owed their soul to the company store" as Tennessee Ernie Ford pointed out in his 1956 hit recording of "Sixteen Tons". Yes, hope was at a premium among the young people in Coalwood in 1957. Homer Hickham, Jr. was a senior in high school during that year and he like the rest of the nation became captivated by the novelty and promise of outer space. When he observed the Soviet satellite Sputnik pass overhead one evening he immediately knew what he wanted to do with his life. His father was less than enthusiastic about his younger sons ambitions. Fortunately, Homer and three of his buddies were inspired and encouraged by a terrific young teacher named Miss Riley. "October Sky" tells the compelling story of these four teenagers who were bound and determined to build rockets. With the help and support of many people in this close knit mining community these young men overcame inredible odds and numerous obstacles to achieve their goal of winning the National Science Fair. This is a good old fashioned heartwarming story!
I must tell you that I was absolutely captivated by some of the performances in "October Sky". Jake Gyllenheal was brilliant in his portrayal of young Homer Hickham, Jr. as was Laura Dern in the role of Miss Riley. And Chris Cooper does a superb job of playing Homer's distant and difficult dad. This movie was exceptionally well written and the photography was well "out of this world".
"October Sky" is that rare movie that you can view with the entire family. I can think of a whole host of reasons why parents would be motivated to share this great flick with their children. You will not find any unnecessary violence, sex or vulgarity. This is just a marvelous film with lots of life's lessons included. Recently I purchased the Special Edition DVD that was released in 2005. Included is a fascinating 30 minute commentary by the real Homer Hickam, Jr. During this feature the original "rocket boys" are reunited for the first time in decades. It is quite moving. I just wish that there were more movies being made like this one. Very highly recommended!
August 04, 2008

Excellent

My 17 year old son recommended this movie and it was an excellent choice. Based on a true story, I learned about Sputnik and more about rockets than I had ever known. I am a fan of Laura Dern and enjoyed her portrayal of the role as Homer's teacher, encouraging Homer and his friends to reach for the stars. I have already watched the DVD several times. It makes a great family movie and I highly recommend it.
August 03, 2008

Dreams Come True

My Grandson is six and wants to build a rocket.
He watched this movie and now I am convinced,
he will build a rocket.
July 13, 2008

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