October Skyis a 1999 Americanbiographicaldrama filmdirected byJoe Johnston,and starringJake Gyllenhaal,Chris Cooper,Chris Owen,andLaura Dern.The screenplay byLewis Colick,based on thebook of the same name,tells the story ofHomer H. Hickam Jr.,acoal miner's son who was inspired by the launch ofSputnik 1in 1957 to take uprocketryagainst his father's wishes and eventually became aNASAengineer.
October Sky | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Joe Johnston |
Screenplay by | Lewis Colick |
Based on | October Sky byHomer Hickam |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Fred Murphy |
Edited by | Robert Dalva |
Music by | Mark Isham |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $25 million[2] |
Box office | $34.7 million[2] |
October Skyis based on the lives of four young men who grew up inCoalwood, West Virginia.[3]Principal photographytook place in ruralEast Tennessee,includingOliver Springs,HarrimanandKingstoninMorganandRoanecounties. The film was a moderate box office success and received very positive critical reception. It continues to be celebrated in the regions of its setting and filming.[4][5]
October Skyis ananagramofRocket Boys,the title of the 1998 memoir upon which the film is based. It is also used in a period radio broadcast describingSputnik 1as it crossed the "October Sky". Homer Hickam said that "Universal Studios marketing people got involved and they just had to change the title because, according to their research, women over thirty would never see a movie titledRocket Boys."[6]The book was later re-released with the name in order to capitalize on interest in the film.[7][8]
Plot
editIn October 1957, news of theSoviet Union's launch ofSputnik 1reachesHomer Hickamin themining communityofCoalwood, West Virginia,who is inspired to build his own rockets despite the skepticism of his friends and family, especially his father; John Hickam, who strictly wanted Homer to work in the mines.
Homer teams up with math geekQuentin Wilson,who shares an interest inaerospace engineering;with the support of friends Roy Lee Cooke and Sherman O'Dell, and their science teacherFreida J. Riley,they construct small rockets. When one of their rockets lands near John's office and nearly injures some workers, John reprimands Homer not to build rockets on his property again. The boys hike to the edge of the coal company's property, where they succeed with the help of the townsfolk, including the mine's machine shop manager, Ike Bykovsky, who is punished by John for helping the boys and sent to work in the mine.
The rocket launches begin attracting townsfolk. However, the boys abandon rocketry after they are accused by the police of starting awildfirewith a stray rocket and are arrested. In amining accident,John is injured and Bykovsky is killed, devastating Homer. He drops out of high school to work in the mine and provide for his family while his father recovers.
Homer is inspired by Miss Riley to read a book on applied rocket science, learning to calculate the trajectory of a rocket. Using this, he and Quentin locate their missing rocket and prove it could not have caused the fire. The boys present their findings to Miss Riley and the school principal, Mr. Turner, who determines the cause was aflarefrom a nearby airfield. Homer tells his father he is returning to high school and no longer wants to work in the mine. The boys return to rocketry and win the schoolscience fair.When the opportunity arises for one of them to participate in the National Science Fair inIndianapolis,they elect Homer. The miner's union goes on strike against the coal company. With the mines set to close and resenting his father's pressures, Homer storms out of the house, vowing never to return.
At the National Science Fair, Homer's display is well-received. Overnight, someone steals his machined rocket part model – thede Laval nozzle– and his autographed picture of Dr.Wernher von Braun.Homer makes an urgent phone call home to his mother Elsie, who implores John to end the strike so that Mr. Bolden, Bykovsky's replacement, can use the machine shop to build a replacement nozzle. John relents when Elsie, fed up with his lack of support for their son, threatens to leave him. With the town's support and replacement parts sent toIndianapolis,the boys win the top prize and Homer is bombarded with college scholarship offers.
He returns to Coalwood as a hero and visits Miss Riley, who is dying ofHodgkin lymphoma.Preparing for the launch of their largest rocket yet, Homer asks his father to come and tells him that Von Braun is brilliant but is not his hero—implying John is his true idol. At the launch of their rocket, named for Miss Riley, almost all of Coalwood turns out to watch. John is given the honor of pushing the launch button. TheMiss Rileyreaches an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m) – higher than the summit ofMount Everest.As the town looks to the skies, John puts his hand on Homer's shoulder and smiles, showing Homer that he is proud of him.
An epilogue reveals the real-life outcomes of the main characters' lives, noting that Miss Riley died, the mine closed, and all four Rocket Boys went to college, going on to successful careers, with Homer working atNASA.
Cast
edit- Jake GyllenhaalasHomer Hickam
- Chris Cooperas John Hickam
- Chris Owenas Quentin Wilson
- Laura Dernas Miss Freida J. Riley
- William Lee Scottas Roy Lee Cooke
- Chad Lindbergas Sherman O'Dell
- Natalie Canerdayas Elsie Hickam
- Scott Thomas as Jim Hickam
- Randy Stripling as Leon Bolden
- Chris Ellisas Principal Turner
- Elya Baskinas Ike Bykovsky
- Winston Linkas Railroad engineer
- Andy Stahlas Jack Palmer
- Mark Jeffrey Miller as Vernon
- Don Henderson Baker as Jensen
- Kaili Hollister as Valentine Carmina
Production
editFilming began on February 23, 1998, almost a year before the film's release. Although it takes place in West Virginia,Tennesseewas the location of choice for filming in part because of the weather and area terrain. Film crews reconstructed the sites to look like the 1957 mining town setting the movie demanded. The weather in East Tennessee gave the filmmakers trouble and delayed the production of the film. Cast and crew recalled the major weather shifts and tornadoes in the area during the filming months, but Joe Johnston claimed, "Ultimately, the movie looks great because of it. It gave the film a much more interesting and varied look."[9][10]For the underground scenes, the crews also recreated a mine, with Johnston expressing that the mine took on a "villainous" appearance in the film, which felt ironic given its position as the town’s source of livelihood. More than 2,000 extras were used in the film. A small switching yard allowed the filmmakers and actors to film the scenes with the boys on the railroad and gave the freedom to do as they pleased, including the tearing apart of tracks. The locomotive used in the scene wasSouthern Railway 4501,re-lettered as Norfolk and Western No. 4501. Filming concluded on April 30, 1998.[9]
The film's star,Jake Gyllenhaal,was 17 years old during filming, the same age asHomer Hickam's character. In an interview in 2014,Natalie Canerdayrecalled that Gyllenhaal was tutored on set because he was still inschooland taking advanced classes.[10]
Release
editOctober Skyopened on February 19, 1999, in 1,495 theaters and had an opening weekend gross of $5,905,250. At its widest theater release, 1,702 theaters were showing the film. It had a total lifetime gross of $34,675,800 worldwide.[2]
Reception
editCritical reception
editOctober Skyreceived generally positive reviews. Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoesreports that 91% out of 74 critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.6/10. The critic's consensus states: "Rich in sweet sincerity, intelligence, and good old-fashioned inspirational drama,October Skyis a coming-of-age story with a heart to match its Hollywood craftsmanship. "[11]Metacriticgave the film a score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]Audiences surveyed byCinemaScoregave the film a grade "A" on scale of A to F.[13]
Many critics commended the film for its focus onfamily valuesand inspirational aspects, particularly the main character's relationship with his father and the actors' performances.Roger Ebert,who gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, recognized that the film "doesn't simplify the father into a bad guy or a tyrant. He understandably wants his son to follow in his footsteps, and one of the best elements of the movie is in breaking free, he is respecting his father. This movie has deep values."[14]
James Wall ofThe Christian Centurydescribed the film's concentration on the father-son relationship as "at times painful to watch. There are no winners or losers when sons go their separate ways.October Skydoes not illustrate good parenting; rather, it evokes the realization that since parents have only a limited vision of how to shape their children's future, the job requires a huge amount of love and a lot of divine assistance. "[15]Entertainment WeeklyandTV Guideclaimed that the film's highlight was the acting of Gyllenhaal and Cooper.[16][17]
The Christian Science Monitorpointed out that some viewers may question "the movie's hero-worshiping treatment of Homer's role model,Wernher von Braun,who's depicted as an all-American icon with no acknowledgment of his earlier career in Nazi Germany. "[18]During World War II, Braun was a member of the Nazi party and theAllgemeine SS.In addition, the ballistic weapons that he developed for the Nazi regime were largely constructed by concentration camp prisoners who faced inhumane conditions, with many dying due to their brutal imprisonment.[19]
Accolades
editOctober Skywon three awards, including: the OCIC Award forJoe Johnstonat theAjijicInternational Film Festival 1999,[20]theCritics' Choice Movie Awardsfor Best Family Film in 2000,[21]and theHumanitas Prize1999 for Featured Film Category.[22]
Differences between the film and book
editThe movie was praised for its portrayal of 1950s Appalachia despite several major and minor differences from the book on which it is based.
- Homer Hickam is the main character's name; in the book and in real life he was nicknamed "Sonny".[23][24]
- Homer Hickam Jr.'s father was not named John. This was changed in an effort to keep the audience from being confused.[24][25]
- There were actually six "rocket boys" rather than the four in the movie. Some of the movie's representations of the characters are combinations of real-life boys. Their names were:Homer Hickam Jr.,Quentin Wilson, Jimmy O'Dell Carroll, Roy Lee Cooke, Billy Rose, and Sherman Siers.[23][24]
- The Rocket Boys did not steal railroad parts as in the film; however, they did attempt to grab acast iron pipeunder the tracks and, according to Homer's website, this almost got him killed.[23]
- While the boys were accused of starting a fire, they were never detained. The police soon realized that their rockets could not have traveled over 3 miles and the boys were exonerated. Homer never had to prove their innocence, as his character did in the film.[24]
- Homer never dropped out of school to work in the town's mine. He did, however, work in the mine the following summer, as described in Hickam's bookSky of Stone.[23]
- Homer never met Wernher von Braun - as it turns out, von Braun was looking for the Rocket Boys' exhibit when Homer was looking for him; and they missed each other.[24]
Cultural impact
editThere are two annual festivals in honor of the Rocket Boys and the film. One is held inWest Virginiawhere the real-life events depicted in thebookand film took place, and the other is inTennesseewhere the movie was actually shot. The Rocket Boys often visit the festival in West Virginia, which is also called the "Rocket Boys Festival", while the festival in Tennessee focuses more on the filming locations. The Tennessee festival's site claims that the festival is "a celebration of our heritage."[4][5]
Jeff Bezos,the billionaire founder ofAmazon,saw a screening ofOctober Skyin 1999. In a subsequent conversation with the science fiction writerNeal Stephenson,Bezos commented that he had always wanted to start a space company. Stephenson urged him to do so. Bezos then started the private aerospace manufacturing and services companyBlue Origin,and Stephenson became one of the company's early employees.[26][27]
The author ofRocket Boysclaimed that theStar Trek Enterpriseepisode "Carbon Creek"was based onOctober Sky,and there are obvious references to the story in the episode.[28][29]
References
edit- ^"October Sky".BBFC.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2021.RetrievedJune 16,2021.
107m 24s
- ^abc"October Sky".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on July 22, 2019.RetrievedJune 1,2021.
- ^"Coalwood, West Virginia".www.coalwoodwestvirginia.com.Archivedfrom the original on February 18, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 29,2018.
- ^ab"October Sky Festival".October Sky Festival.Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2014.RetrievedJuly 28,2014.
- ^ab"October Sky Festival".Coalwood West Virginia.NMT Web Designs, LLC.Archivedfrom the original on August 12, 2014.RetrievedMarch 26,2019.
- ^"Frequently Asked Questions".HomerHickam.com.Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2008.
- ^"Coalwood Boy".Washington Post.October 8, 2001.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
- ^"October Sky (The Coalwood Series #1) by Homer Hickam".Goodreads.Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2023.RetrievedApril 22,2023.
- ^ab"About the Filming".Coalwood West Virginia.NMT Web Designs, LLC.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 30,2014.
- ^abKazek, Kelly (July 23, 2014)."'October Sky' actress Natalie Canerday on Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, film's legacy 15 years after debut ".al.com.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2019.RetrievedAugust 14,2020.
- ^"October Sky (1999)".Rotten Tomatoes.Archivedfrom the original on June 5, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 1,2021.
- ^"October Sky".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on September 4, 2014.RetrievedJuly 31,2014.
- ^"October Sky (1999) A".CinemaScore.Archived fromthe originalon December 20, 2018.
- ^Ebert, Roger(February 19, 1999)."October Sky Review".RogerEbert.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 18, 2021.RetrievedJuly 30,2014.
Immensely entertaining and unabashedly inspirational.
- ^Wall, J.M. (1999). "Fathers and Sons".The Christian Century.116(10): 331.
- ^Schwarzbaum, Lisa (March 5, 1999)."Rocket Booster".Entertainment Weekly.No. 475.
- ^McDonagh, Maitland."October Sky Review".TV Guide.Archivedfrom the original on August 12, 2014.RetrievedJuly 31,2014.
- ^Sterritt, David (February 19, 1999)."'October Sky': almost out of this world ".The Christian Science Monitor.Archivedfrom the original on December 24, 2022.RetrievedDecember 24,2022.
- ^Shira Teitel, Amy (May 3, 2013)."Wernher von Braun: History's most controversial figure?".Al Jazeera.Archivedfrom the original on December 24, 2022.RetrievedDecember 24,2022.
- ^"Joe Johnston Biography".tribute.ca.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
- ^"The 5th Critics' Choice Movie Awards Winners and Nominees".Broadcast Film Critics Association.Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2012.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
- ^Chang, Kay (July 9, 1999)."'Sky' scribe Colick wins Humanitas Prize ".Variety.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
- ^abcd"Movies Rocket Boys".HomerHickam.com.Archived fromthe originalon July 10, 2015.RetrievedAugust 21,2018.
- ^abcdeKazek, Kelly (July 23, 2014)."Real vs. Reel: Author Homer Hickam talks differences in 'Rocket Boys' and film 'October Sky'".al.com.Archivedfrom the original on December 15, 2018.RetrievedJune 1,2021.
- ^Bonvillian, Crystal (July 24, 2014)."'October Sky' does good job of telling Homer Hickam Jr.'s remarkable story ".al.com.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2014.RetrievedJuly 31,2014.
- ^Davenport, Christian (2018).The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos.PublicAffairs, an imprint owned by Hachette Book Group.ISBN9781610398299.
- ^Foust, Jeff (March 26, 2018)."Reviews: Rocket Billionaires and The Space Barons".The Space Review.Archivedfrom the original on April 1, 2018.RetrievedMarch 26,2019.
- ^"The Trek Nation - Carbon Creek".TrekToday.com.September 26, 2002.RetrievedJune 28,2023.
- ^Cowling, Keith (November 25, 2017)."Rocket Boys, Vulcans, and Wandering Apollo Rockets".SpaceRef.Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2021.RetrievedJune 29,2023.