Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

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?

PennFoxLanc In the fall of 1957 when I was 14 (like the book) I and the late Mike Falkenhain experimented with building and launching rockets in his backyard at Trevose, PA. I became a chemist and he an engineer. I loved the movie, but the errors got in the way of enjoying the film. The cars were all wrong for the time period of 1957-58. The 1952 Fords and the 1953 Chevys had wrap around windshields, ending the split windshield era. With the exception of a quick passing tail of what I think was a 57 Chevy, every car was 1952 or older. People like my Dad with union jobs traded in their cars every three to five years. In a coal town in W. VA half might have been split windshields, but 100%, I don't think so.Dieselization began in earnest in the 1940's, and was largely complete by 1958 (1953 for the Southern), although there were a few steam locos around on some lines. No std gauge train lines in the US ran exclusively steam engines in 1958. I rode on the Pennsylvania Railroad to school everyday from 1955 - 1959, and was fascinated with trains. One in the movie would have been nice, but exclusively steam in 1958 on a major line - impossible.

himanshushukla95 "Where there is a will, there is a way". This movie is a beautiful illustration of this old saying. This movie was one of the best movies in 1999, as review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, reports that 90% out of 72 critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.6/10: "Rich in sweet sincerity, intelligence, and good old-fashioned inspirational drama, October Sky is a coming-of-age story with a heart to match its Hollywood craftsmanship. Also this movie won Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Family Film from the Broadcast Film Critics Association in 2000.It beautifully illustrates the biography of a teen Homer who is ambitious towards rocket science and ends up to be a scientist at NASA despite of all the mishappenings he faces in life. The story is a gem for the teens who are often led down by their dreams and dear ones. Full of emotions and zeal, the movie buys one a lot of encouragement to follow ones dreams.It proved very helpful to me and as it would be to all the people who have been facing a very hard time in life and not been able to do what they want to. The plot and the acting of the cast starring Chris Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern and Chris Owen is great and hence this movie easily and beautifully connects to people who got mind-stuck in teenage. As one would expect from Universal studios, the production house of the movie, the scenes combined with the acting is so real that it will take oneself back to the teen life of 1950's in America, which in itself is a wonderful experience. I would strongly recommend this movie to all the people reading this review.

gavin6942 The true story of Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal), a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.Besides Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern is top billed. Maybe that is fair, given how well she is known. But now (2015), it seems worth noting that Chris Cooper is just as big a part of this film and has really gone on to become a name of his own. Maybe not eclipsing Dern, but not far behind. Updated releases ought to reflect this.The film is strangely obsessed with the idea that people cannot get out of their small town or escape the coal mine. Was this true in the 1950s? Being from a small town that lived or died based on its paper mill, I understand the concept... but never thought of it as so stark or inevitable.