October Sky: A Film Review of Values and Dreams

Introduction: Cold War Context and the Film's Premise

In the late 1950s, more than ten years after the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a struggle known as the Cold War. The Soviets were working hard to extend their influence to third-world countries and other nations around the world, and the United States was doing the same. Then, in October 1957, the Soviets shocked Americans — and made U.S. technology seem far behind — by launching the first man-made satellite. It was called Sputnik, and it prompted the U.S. government to accelerate its space and rocket program. The film October Sky goes much deeper than that historical backdrop, however, telling the story of a young boy named Homer Hickam who was fascinated with the idea of becoming part of America's space exploration effort, even as his father wanted him to work in the coal mines of West Virginia. This paper reviews and critiques the film and explains the strong impact it made when I first saw it.

Characters and Central Tension

This movie tells the true story of Homer Hickam, a young man who grew up in West Virginia, attended high school there, and eventually became an engineer at NASA. The central tension in the film is Homer's struggle to turn away from the career his coal miner father had planned for him. His father was adamant that Homer follow in his footsteps and work in the coal mines. The family clashes are portrayed very realistically, and the audience can clearly see all sides of the conflict. John Hickam, played convincingly by Chris Cooper, is a hard-working man whose entire career has been spent underground. One of his two sons is a talented football player likely to earn a college scholarship.

Homer, by contrast, is not an athlete, and he is not particularly strong in math or science. Still, after being inspired by Sputnik, he becomes determined to learn to build rockets and participate in the exploration of space. Any high school student who has argued with a parent can relate to this ongoing rift. John Hickam is equally determined that Homer will follow in his father's footsteps; it is John's dream that a son of his will one day take over as mine superintendent, a position of authority that John holds with presence and skill.

Although John Hickam is firmly set against Homer's interest in rocketry — issuing threats and opposing his son's dreams with open hostility — Homer is passionate about space. He gathers several other boys and they begin building their own rocket together. Going against one's parents is always risky, and the emotions arising from Homer's rebellion are powerfully conveyed throughout the film.

One of the most dramatic moments comes when the boys — including Homer's friend Quentin Wilson, a socially awkward but scientifically brilliant teenager — launch their first rocket. When it goes off course and is alleged to have started a forest fire, the boys are arrested by the local sheriff and John Hickam is furious. Later, however, it is established that the boys' rocket could not have started the fire, and Homer and his friends return to developing another one.

Conclusion

Many, if not most, high school students have heroes who are sports personalities, actors, or musical stars. For Homer, however, his hero was Wernher von Braun — a brilliant scientist who escaped Nazi Germany to immigrate to the United States and help develop the American space program. That choice of hero is itself inspiring. October Sky is a great film that teaches lessons not limited to any single period in history, and I found it both impressive and genuinely moving.

Works Cited

IMDB. (1999). October Sky. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://imdb.com.