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October Sky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| October Sky | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joe Johnston |
| Produced by | Charles Gordon Marc Sternberg (EXEC), Tina S. Dowling (EXEC) |
| Written by | Homer Hickam (book) and Lewis Colick (screenplay) |
| Starring | Jake Gyllenhaal Chris Cooper Laura Dern |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1999 |
October Sky is a 1999 film produced by Charles Gordon, 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.
Contents |
"October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys", the title of the book on which the movie is based. Homer Hickam stated that in research done by Universal Pictures, women over 30 would not go to see a movie titled "Rocket Boys",[citation needed] 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 title may also be a reference to the satellite Sputnik. In the movie it is the launch of Sputnik that inspires the boy's interest in rockets. Sputnik was launched October 4, 1957, and was visible for the world to see as it traversed the October sky.
Set in the state of West Virginia, the film was actually shot at Petros, Oliver Springs, Oak Ridge, Harriman, and Knoxville, Tennessee. The coal mine used in the film was an actual coal mine located in Petros which had long since closed. The steam locomotive (Southern Railway 4501) used in the film was a loan from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jake Gyllenhaal | Homer Hickam |
| Chris Cooper | John Hickam |
| Laura Dern | Miss Frieda Riley |
| Chris Owen | Quentin Wilson |
| William Lee Scott | Roy Lee Cooke |
| Chad Lindberg | Sherman O'Dell |
| Natalie Canerday | Elsie Hickam |
| Randy Stripling | Leon Bolden |
| Chris Ellis | Principal Turner |
| Elya Baskin | Ike Bykovsky |
| Courtney Cole-Fendley | Dorothy Platt |
| David Dwyer | Jake Mosby |
| Terry Loughlin | Mr. Dantzler |
| Cody Simspon | Truck guys |
The film was nominated for 11 awards, of which it won three, including the 2000 Critics Choice Award for Best Family Film. Jake Gyllenhaal was nominated 1999 for the Teen Choice Award for Breakout Performance, and the film itself was nominated for Teen Choice Drama
- Note: Although the real-life Homer is Homer H. Hickam, Jr., his father was renamed "John" in the movie, probably to make the dialogue smoother and less confusing to audiences.