classicsoncall A high school boy's fascination with the Russian Sputnik missile fostered a life long love of rocketry and outer space travel. "October Sky" tells that story of Homer Hickam and his boyhood friends who achieved a level of notoriety in the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia in the late 1950's. The film is inspiring in it's message of believing in yourself and following one's dreams, even in the face of widespread ridicule and family opposition. Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his friends Roy Lee (William Lee Scott), O'Dell (Chad Lindberg) and Quentin (Chris Owen) join forces to develop their own personal answer to the country's space program by repeatedly trying and failing to build a successful rocket, until their perseverance is finally rewarded with a successful launch that amazes even them.A palpable sense of family tension is present throughout however, as Homer's dad expects his son to follow in his footsteps as a home town coal miner. He treats Homer differently from older brother Jim (Scott Thomas), who's athletic ability stands to earn him a college football scholarship, one of the few ways out for a graduating teen growing up in a town with no prospects of it's own. John Hickam (Chris Cooper) doesn't come around to Homer's way of thinking until the very end of the story when the young man's accomplishments earn recognition for himself, his 'Rocket Boys' team, and his high school. And as often is the case, there's a stellar teacher on hand to support the pursuit of knowledge for it's own sake. For Homer, it's Miss Riley (Laura Linney), stricken at an early age with Hodgkins lymphoma, but undeniably a supporter who's belief in Homer puts her in direct conflict with the school principal and it's Board of Ed.I thought it quite interesting that a marquee at a local movie house in the picture was featuring "The Incredible Shrinking Man", a B grade sci-fi flick of the era. I think if you watch that film, you'll find it to be a whole lot better than it would have any right to be based on it's title. In a way, it's diametrically opposite to Homer's goal of reaching for the stars, as it's main character is faced with a dilemma of growing smaller and smaller on a daily basis. At first horrified by that prospect he eventually comes to terms with his plight and endeavors to adapt to a life that brings him new challenges on a daily basis. Any sense of closure for the viewer is left to one's own imagination, a rather daring concept for a film of any genre to propose back in the Fifties. Reading some of the other reviews for the film on this site, it's not surprising to see how many others got misty eyed over the relationship between Homer and his father. The father/son dynamic is one that affects me in similar ways in movies like this, as one looks back over one's life, it's comforting to reflect on those good times that overcame any difficulties. Coming from humble beginnings, I'm sure young men like Homer and his buddies never forgot their roots and where they came from, knowing that their experience might some day inspire others to reach for the stars themselves.One last thought - the title 'October Sky' is a perfect anagram of 'Rocket Boys' - how cool is that?

ashritha-50382 Don't know why this movie has only a rating of 7.8. It is very inspirational and true story. It should be among "The pursuit of happiness" and "The shawshank redemption". Tears was rolling down from my eyes at few scenes. Great movie which has the power to change our life.

hieuwey One word, Predigenous!!! LOL, seriously this is a great film. Its a well-dated film, with great history and cinematography. I love how the rockets were developed more and more as the movie went along. I like how the boys all collaborated together, a mix of hodge-podge teenagers in the small mining town of Coalwood.The father in this movie is a hardass, but I liked how he was a supportive character in the end, which made the main character even stronger and more passionate about rocketry!Predigenous!!!

yuriboyka-11096 yeah it's true that i was crying while i was watching it you know why because it was giving so much inspiration that i cannot even think about it. the movie was quiet simple every seconds of it look like real .i am 23 and i think it fits perfectly for this age .this movie shows that you have to work continuously with compassion not that we have to pretend that we have to compassionate but to live in it yeah that's true i say go for it this is the best simplistic inspirational movie i have ever seen i believe you will love every second of this movie go for it