October Sky is a 1999 film produced by directed by Joe Johnston, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Laura Dern. It is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and eventually became a NASA scientist.
"October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys", the title of the book on which the movie is based. It is also used in a period radio...
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October Sky is a 1999 film produced by directed by Joe Johnston, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Laura Dern. It is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and eventually became a NASA scientist.
"October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys", the title of the book on which the movie is based. It is also used in a period radio broadcast describing Sputnik as it crossed the "October sky". Homer Hickam stated that women over 30 would not go to see a movie titled "Rocket Boys", so Universal Pictures changed the title to be more inviting to a wider audience. The book was later re-released with the name October Sky in order to capitalize on interest in the movie. The movie takes place in the late 1950's after Sputnik is launched.
The film is set in Coalwood, West Virginia. The coal mine is the town's largest employer and almost every man living in the town works in the...
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