October Sky (1999)
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90% of critics liked it
(72 reviews) -
84% of users liked it
(63,621 ratings)
NASA engineer Homer H. Hickam, Jr.'s autobiography provided the basis for this drama about a teenager coming of age at the dawn of the space race. In 1957, Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a high school student in Coalwood, West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first… More NASA engineer Homer H. Hickam, Jr.'s autobiography provided the basis for this drama about a teenager coming of age at the dawn of the space race. In 1957, Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a high school student in Coalwood, West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust, Homer is instantly fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design. While many of Homer's friends are puzzled by his new obsession, several new friends share his enthusiasm, and with the encouragement of his teacher (Laura Dern), Homer and his fellow "Rocket Boys" begin designing and launching their own homemade missiles. However, Homer's father (Chris Cooper) takes a dim view of his son's interest in rockets and is convinced Homer's future should be the same as his own, working in the local coal mines. October Sky mixes the drama of traditional family conflicts with a nostalgic glimpse of life in the mid-50's and a look at the earliest days of our journey into space. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Joe Johnston
- Written By
- Lewis Colick
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Feb 19, 1999 Wide
- Studio
- Universal
Critic Reviews
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Trevor Johnston, Time Out
The TV movie subject matter is infused with genuine feeling for the value of learning as a passport to freedom, and an authentic regard for the honest graft of working men.
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Susan Stark, Detroit News
It is a film that treats its teen-aged hero and his pals as distinctive, sentient human beings.
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
As adapted by Lewis Colick, the screenplay shifts busily among the boys' rocket exploits, Homer's family, conditions at the mine and the influence of a dedicated science teacher, but each of these subplots plays out in familiar ways.
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Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
One of the best in recent years!
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Cody Clark, Mr. Showbiz
October Sky will go straight to the heart of any man who recalls looking up at the night sky as a boy and getting stars in his eyes.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Jake Gyllenhaal
as Homer Hickam
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Chris Cooper
as John Hickam
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Laura Dern
as Miss Riley
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Chris Owen
as Quentin
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William Lee Scott
as Roy Lee
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Chad Lindberg
as O'Dell
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Natalie Canerday
as Elsie Hickam
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Scott Miles
as Jim Hickam
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Randy Stripling
as Leon Bolden
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Chris Ellis
as Principal Turner
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Elya Baskin
as Ike Bykovsky
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Terry Loughlin
as Mr. Dantzler



