October Sky - Rocket Boys

October Sky- Rocket Boys

The movie I chose to review was October Sky. If you rearrange all the letters in the title it can also spell Rocket Boys which is the title for the book the movie was based off of. It tells a story of Coalwood, a coal mining town in West Virginia in the 1950's.

Homer Hickman is the main character in this film and he dreams of a better life for himself. The only options in the town of Coalwood are to be a coal miner or to get an athletic scholarship. Homer discovers very soon that he is no athlete while his brother excels in football. Miss Frieda Riley, homers teacher, also wants the best for her students. She believes there is more out there for them and encourages Homer.

There are many meaningful coincidences that shape the characters in this film. The first meaningful moment was when Homer witnessed Sputnik in orbit. The next day he said "I'm gonna build a rocket." At first his teacher discouraged Homer because he was a dreamer, not good enough in math to become a scientist. Homer becomes friends with the most unpopular kid in the school Quentin. Quentin knows a lot about science and Homers friends soon take him in as one of their own.

The boy's rockets fail every time but they never give up. They launch a rocket right into the coal mine and Homer's father tells the boys they cannot launch their rockets on the land anymore. They continue to experiment and learn from it each time. Another meaningful moment is when a bunch of kids from the school show up to the rocket launch site and it finally worked. Everyone cheered as the rocket shot up in the air.

Homer's father is very unsupportive throughout the entire movie. He thinks his interest in rockets is a waste of time. Many times he tells Homer he is a menace, and that he is ashamed of him. Homer does think coal mining is a great life and it upsets his father. His father never goes to see one of Homer's rockets.

There are still many hardships to come. The boys are accused of starting a forest fire and are forbidden from shooting anymore rockets. Homer's friend dies in a mine accident and blames himself for Ike being down in the mine. His teacher becomes ill and cannot teach anymore. Lastly, Homer's father becomes injured and homer must quit school to go work in the coal mine.

Homer is able to prove he did not start the fire.