Die wahre Geschichte von Homer Hickam, dem Sohn eines Bergmanns, der sich vom ersten Sputnik-Start inspirieren ließ, gegen den Willen seines Vaters Raketenbau zu studieren.Die wahre Geschichte von Homer Hickam, dem Sohn eines Bergmanns, der sich vom ersten Sputnik-Start inspirieren ließ, gegen den Willen seines Vaters Raketenbau zu studieren.Die wahre Geschichte von Homer Hickam, dem Sohn eines Bergmanns, der sich vom ersten Sputnik-Start inspirieren ließ, gegen den Willen seines Vaters Raketenbau zu studieren.
- Regie
- Drehbuch
- Hauptbesetzung
- Auszeichnungen
- 4 Gewinne & 11 Nominierungen insgesamt
- Jim Hickam
- (as Scott Miles)
- Dorothy Platt
- (as Courtney Fendley)
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The reason? It's a simple movie, with a relatively familiar backdrop, but it's done very straightforwardly with no hint of pretension. At times there is some degree of predictability, but then the story takes rather unexpected turns. Just when you think you know exactly what will happen, the movie will prove your alleged clairvoyance wrong.
The standout in this movie for me is the interaction between Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Cooper. This interaction provides one of the more complex and layered father/son relationships you will see in a movie of this nature. Laura Dern also has a small role but manages it quite effectively.
Moreover, much has been done to recreate the 1950s ambiance; from the costumes to the art decoration to the architecture, this movie looks and feels like it is based in the 1950s, adding to the overall viewing experience.
I would recommend this for anyone looking to see a (much) better-than-average film about belief in oneself and achieving one's dreams in the face of adversity, although this movie is much more than just that. Not for those who think cheesy special effects and mind-numbingly lewd comedy are prerequisites for a good film.
3.5 stars (out of 4). 8/10. Should warrant a place in my Honourable Mentions list.
Yet as in any true to life story, there are many stops along the way. Director Joe Johnston lowers us into the coal mines, where we witness the chilling plight of miners stooped beneath a ceiling of rock. With lit helmets and bent posture, they resembled alien insectoids more than humans in the darkness. The hacking coughs of the miners and the blackened faces were a constant reminder of the danger the miners faced in their work.
Contrasting the mine shaft's lugubrious load are the images of Homer and his friend's rocket launches. Underneath the blue bowl of sky, rockets are placed upon a pad and launched into the stratosphere...And nothing can match the scene when Homer sees Sputnik for the first time.
Yet what makes the film so endearing is the relationship between the characters. Homer's father is a classic hardened man...but he has a soft side as well. We see that he does love his son, despite their many arguments. The love and support of Miss Riley is evident as well. Best of all, the film is uncomfortable. It doesn't tie everything up in a nice bow. It tears at you, lifts you up. It keeps an air of reality, which is important in a film like this.
This film can be considered a complete work. At first, I was disappointed that the film did not continue with Homer's life. I didn't want it to end. Then I realized...that's what a good film does to a person. If it has done its job, you won't want it to end. And "October Sky" accomplishes just that.
Although I did not grow up in the 1950's, I believe this film honestly portrays the mood and setting of the time. Given today's harsh world with all its complications, watching this film is a welcome escape to a time of innocence, wonder, and discovery. Highly recommended!
The story is about a young man back in the Fifties who gets interested in rocketry and wants to enter that field instead of working in the coal mines as everyone else, including his father, does in this West Virginia town. The big problem is the conflict it causes between the boy and his father, which I think was overdone. I would like to have a little less tension between the two.
The young man, still a boy, is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, one of his first staring assignments, I think. He's likable, as are his school buddies in here. It's nice to see nice kids in a modern-day film. The two other key actors in the movie are Chris Cooper (the dad) and Laura Dern (the kid's teacher who encourages him all the time.)
The cinematography is decent the 1950s soundtrack is fun to hear. Once again: I wish there more of these kind of films made today.
Wusstest du schon
- WissenswertesThe author wished the movie to be called "Rocket Boys," like the book it's based on, but the studio believed that title would not sell well. The compromise title "October Sky" works on two levels: it's the month when the hero is first inspired by Sputnik flying overhead, and it is an anagram of "Rocket Boys".
- PatzerThe miners' union hall has a 50-star flag, but the strike takes place in 1958, a year before Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as states.
- Zitate
Homer: [to John] Dad, I may not be the best, but I come to believe that I got it in me to be somebody in this world. And it's not because I'm so different from you either, it's because I'm the same. I mean, I can be just as hard-headed, and just as tough. I only hope I can be as good a man as you. Sure, Wernher von Braun is a great scientist, but he isn't my hero.
- Crazy CreditsThe real life people portrayed in the movie are shown during the end credits.
- SoundtracksNine Pound Hammer is Too Heavy
Written by Charlie Monroe
Performed by The Monroe Brothers
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label
Top-Auswahl
Details
- Erscheinungsdatum
- Herkunftsland
- Sprache
- Auch bekannt als
- Cielo de octubre
- Drehorte
- Petros, Tennessee, USA(Main set for coal-mining town)
- Produktionsfirma
- Weitere beteiligte Unternehmen bei IMDbPro anzeigen
Box Office
- Budget
- 25.000.000 $ (geschätzt)
- Bruttoertrag in den USA und Kanada
- 32.570.685 $
- Eröffnungswochenende in den USA und in Kanada
- 5.905.250 $
- 21. Feb. 1999
- Weltweiter Bruttoertrag
- 34.698.753 $
- Laufzeit1 Stunde 48 Minuten
- Farbe
- Sound-Mix
- Seitenverhältnis
- 2.39 : 1