OCTOBER SKY

Sometimes one dream is enough to light up the whole sky.

Director: Joe Johnston

Cast:

Jake Gyllenhall

Chris Cooper

Laura Dern

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnX6yU8PJHE

This is a story of Homer Hickam, who resides in Coalwood, a town setup because of a coal mine present there. Every boy in town has only one path designated for their future, coal mine. Homer’s father John Hickam also wants his both sons to join him in the coal mine after they graduate from the local high school. His elder brother Jim plays football and gets a 100% scholarship for a college, then it’s up to Homer to fulfil his father’s dream.

Until one night as the townspeople gather outside one starry October night, they see the Soviet satellite Sputnik race across the sky. Filled with inspiration Homer gets an idea to escape working in the coal mines all of his life. He will build rockets.

He befriends a math geek Quentin who knows a thing or two about rocket science. Along with his two friends Roy Lee and Odell they start making small rockets. On this path there are few people to help and the most important one is their science teacher Miss Riley, who also tells them about the local science fair. The winners of the local science fair go to nationals and if they win that they get full scholarships for college.

As soon as they start working, they start facing obstacles. First of all they have only elementary knowledge of rocket science and they have to learn most of it through hit and trial, which obviously leads to disasters like in one instance their rocket lands into the office of Homer’s father, who already objects his son’s hobby to the full.

The boys figure out ways to solve until they are one day arrested by the local police saying that one of their rockets caused a small fire nearby. The dreams of the boys are then shattered. Very soon a accident in coal mine leaves John Hickam hospitalized and Homer working in the coal mine. John soon joins back but Homer has still not forgotten his dream. Along with Quentin they figure out a equation which tells them that their rocket would not have started the fire and also they found out the shell of their rocket miles away from the place where the fire started.

Explaining this to their Principal they get back their admission into the school and start preparing for the local science fair, which they at last win. Now school can not afford to send all the four for the National Science Fair so Homer gets to go. His Rocket Project generates a lot of curiosity among the people visiting the fair, but just a day before when the judges had to arrive someone steals Homer’s rocket.

With no hope left he tells the story to his mom who then goes to demands his father to help his son by laying off the strike and having his workers build a new rocket in the workshop. He agrees and the next day Homer gets his Rocket in time to show to the judges and bagging the first prize at the national level and getting all four of them full scholarships to the top colleges.

FEW COMMENTS

Based on a true story.

Awesome background score and superb acting by Jake Gyllenhall.

Most inspirational film i have ever seen. If i had seen it a few years ago during my school days , I would have cracked IIT.

lights, camera, action

eskapeartist

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