october sky movie review

October Sky

Like the hero of "October Sky,'' I remember the shock that ran through America when the Russians launched Sputnik on Oct. 5, 1957. Like the residents of Coalwood, W.Va. in the movie, I joined the neighbors out on the lawn, peering into the sky with binoculars at a speck of moving light that was fairly easy to see. Unlike Homer Hickam, the hero of "October Sky,'' I didn't go on to become a NASA scientist, or train astronauts. But I did read Willy Ley's Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel three or four times, and Arthur Clarke's The Making of a Moon. I got their autographs, too, just as Homer sends away for a signed photo of Werner von Braun.

That first shabby piece of orbiting hardware now seems like a toy compared to the space station, the shuttle, and the missions to the moon and beyond. But it had an impact that's hard to describe to anyone who takes satellite TV for granted. For the first time in history, man had built something that went up, but did not come down--not for a long time, anyway. Sputnik was a tiny but audacious defiance of the universe.

"October Sky'' tells the story of four boys in a poverty-stricken corner of Appalachia who are determined to build their own rocket, and help get America back in the "space race.'' It's seen through the eyes of their leader, young Homer Hickham ( Jake Gyllenhaal ), who sees the speck of light in the sky and starts reading the science fiction of Jules Verne . Homer is a good student, but math and science are his weak points. He knows he needs help, and breaks all of the rules in the school lunch room by approaching the class brain, an outcast named Quentin ( Chris Owen ).

They talk about rocket fuel, nozzles, velocity. Two other boys get involved: Roy Lee ( William Lee Scott) and O'Dell ( Chad Lindberg ). Their first rocket blows a hole in the picket fence in front of Homer's house. The second one narrowly misses some miners at the coal mine, and Homer's dad John ( Chris Cooper ), the mine supervisor, forbids further experimentation and confiscates all of the "rocket stuff'' from the basement. But the kids labor on, in an isolated patch of woods, building a shelter to protect themselves from exploding rockets. They talk a machinist at the mine into building them a rocket casing of stronger steel, and they use alcohol from a moonshiner as an ingredient in the rocket fuel.

The tension in the movie is not between the boys and their rocket, but between the boys and those who think that miners' sons belong down in the mines and not up in the sky. Homer's father is not a bad man; he fights for the jobs of his men, he rescues several in a near-disaster, he injures his eye in another emergency. He wants Homer to follow in his footsteps. The mine may seem an unhealthy and hateful place to some, but when John takes Homer down for his son's first day on the job, his voice glows with poetry: "I know the mine like I know a man. I was born for this.'' The high school principal ( Chris Ellis ) sees the job of the school to send miners' sons down to the coal mine. But a young teacher ( Laura Dern ) tells Homer she feels her life will have failed if some of the kids don't get out and realize their dreams. Then there's a crisis (did a rocket set a forest fire?), and a scene in which Homer and his friends use trigonometry to argue their innocence.

There have been a lot of recent movies set in high school: "She's All That,'' " Varsity Blues ,'' "Jawbreaker'' (also reviewed today). In those movies, even the better ones, "teenagers'' who look like soap stars in their 20s have lives that revolve around sex and popularity. The kids in "October Sky'' look like they're in their mid-teens, and act that way, too. Watching Homer get out the trig book, I was reminded how rarely high school movies have anything to do with school--with how an education is a ticket to freedom.

Perhaps because "October Sky'' is based on a real memoir, Homer Hickam's Rocket Boys, it doesn't simplify the father into a bad guy or a tyrant. He understandably wants his son to follow in his footsteps, and one of the best elements of the movie is in breaking free, he is respecting his father. This movie has deep values.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Chad Lindberg as Scott O'Dell
• Natalie Canerday as Elsie Hickam
• William Lee as Roy Lee
• Chris Cooper as John Hickam
• Chris Owen as Quentin
• Laura Dern as Miss Riley
• Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickam

Directed by

• Joe Johnston
• Lewis Colick

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Parents' guide to, october sky.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 20 Reviews
• Kids Say 27 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Inspiring tale for older tweens and up.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that October Sky is a moving drama based on a true story centers on a very difficult, tense father-son relationship. Ultimately, the movie is about following your dreams, no matter how unachievable they might feel. In one scene, a drunken stepfather beats up one of the main character's…

Why Age 10+?

Includes a couple of uses of "s--t," as well as "damn," "hell," "ass," etc. Char

Some drinking; a minor character is an alcoholic. Brief glimpse of smoking.

A boy is beaten in public by his stepfather. There's a brief glimpse of a dead b

Some talk of kissing and putting the moves on girls, but nothing is really shown

Any Positive Content?

Themes include curiosity, empathy, integrity, and perseverance. Emphasizes the i

Homer works hard for his achievements, despite some rather challenging odds. His

Parents need to know that October Sky is a moving drama based on a true story centers on a very difficult, tense father-son relationship. Ultimately, the movie is about following your dreams, no matter how unachievable they might feel. In one scene, a drunken stepfather beats up one of the main character's friends; there's also some surprisingly strong language for a PG-rated movie (including "s--t") and a few mild sexual references.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Includes a couple of uses of "s--t," as well as "damn," "hell," "ass," etc. Characters also say things like "goddamn" and "swear to God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

A boy is beaten in public by his stepfather. There's a brief glimpse of a dead body, as well as a potentially scary mine cave-in. Someone shoots at a character through a window (no injuries). Some accidents with the test rockets.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some talk of kissing and putting the moves on girls, but nothing is really shown.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Themes include curiosity, empathy, integrity, and perseverance. Emphasizes the importance of following your dreams, no matter how impossible they might seem. Also underlines the necessity of hard work and creativity.

Positive Role Models

Homer works hard for his achievements, despite some rather challenging odds. His father isn't supportive and is sometimes harsh, but it's made clear that he does love his son underneath it all. Homer has a wonderful teacher in Miss Riley.

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (20)
• Kids say (27)

Based on 20 parent reviews

Gritty and grounded story of a group of teenage boys in a West Virginia coal town

Makes me cry ... everytime, what's the story.

OCTOBER SKY is set in 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made orbiting satellite. Thanks to their teacher Miss Riley (Laura Dern), Homer Hickam ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) and his high school friends peer up into the clear sky over their tiny West Virginia coal mining town to see its tiny spark drift across the stars. Homer dreams of being a rocket scientist. His father, John ( Chris Cooper ), the mine supervisor, does not understand Homer's longing for a wider horizons. But others do. Miss Riley roots for "the unlucky ones." Homer's mother who covers the kitchen wall with a mural of the seascape she longs to see. Homer's friends are glad to be a part of something new and important, and the community is proud to have a hero.

Is It Any Good?

This true story of a boy from a small town who dreams of becoming a rocket scientist is one the best films of the past year and one of the best family movies ever made. We know from the beginning where the story is going, just as we knew with Rocky . The triumph of the underdog is one of literature's most enduring themes. As long as it is done well, audiences are happy to go along. It is never done better than it is here in October Sky . The script, the production design, and the acting are all superb.

Gyllenhaal's expressive eyes show his simultaneous longing for the stars and for his father's approval. Cooper makes a role that could have been a one-dimensional tyrant multi-layered and complex, even sympathetic. Plot twists that might seem heavy-handed or melodramatic work because we know they really happened, and because these characters make us believe. We care so deeply about them that when we see real home movie footage of the real-life Homer's experiments we feel as though they are a part of our family.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how in October Sky , Homer, not a great student and not especially strong in math, becomes so inspired by an idea that he begins to think in new ways. Has that ever happened to you?

Why it was hard for John to support Homer's ambitions? Why did his mother see it differently? Do you think Homer made the right choice in going to work in the mine -- and in leaving it?

How does the movie portray the way that "nerds" are treated in school? Do you think people are evaluated differently in school from how they are once they get out?

How doe the characters in October Sky demonstrate curiosity , empathy , integrity , and perseverance ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 21, 1999
• On DVD or streaming : July 27, 1999
• Cast : Chris Cooper , Jake Gyllenhaal , Laura Dern
• Director : Joe Johnston
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : STEM , History , Science and Nature
• Character Strengths : Curiosity , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance
• Run time : 108 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : language, brief teen sensuality and alcohol use, and for some thematic elements
• Last updated : September 19, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• Cast & crew

User reviews

October Sky

A film that hits close to home.....

• Feb 6, 1999

Excellent family movie, and a fine story

• RJBurke1942
• Mar 17, 2007

Takes One Back To A Childhood In The '50s

• ccthemovieman-1
• Apr 9, 2006

I've Been There and It's Real

• Feb 20, 1999
• haydensprincess2005
• Mar 23, 2005

Better late than never! GO SEE THIS FILM

• Mar 13, 2006

A pleasant surprise

• Dec 28, 2005

It was hard to choose your future in the 1950s for a worker's son.

• Dr_Coulardeau
• Jun 2, 2007

fine inspirational movie

• SnoopyStyle
• Dec 2, 2014

Surprisingly refreshing, a film with pure heart and no pretensions...

• varundelpiero
• Oct 18, 2008

October's themes feel good.

• Sep 18, 1999

Rocket Boy's Life Soars

• Aug 21, 1999

Made-For-Tv Film invades theaters

• Mar 28, 1999

One of those feel-good films

• Feb 24, 2006

Inspirational

• Jul 30, 2004

A real piece of Americana, not for cynics!

• Dec 16, 2004

Nostalgic, Inspirational and Worthwhile

• MARKETEX1969
• Jun 3, 2005
• Jan 26, 1999

The first great film of 1999. *** out of ****.

• Feb 23, 1999

America just before the beginning of the Apollo program

• frankde-jong
• Jul 20, 2019

FABULOUS & INSPIRING FOR ALL AGES

• Instant_Palmer
• Jun 29, 2019

Great film!

• pantelis-petrou
• May 7, 2021

Perhaps one of the best of 1999, highly inspirational.

• kyledenny62
• Oct 19, 2008

Great movie - for the kids

• Aug 25, 1999

Warms the Cockles of Your Heart.

• Jan 30, 2008

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• DVD & Streaming

October Sky

Content caution.

In Theaters

• Jake Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen, William Lee Scott

Home Release Date

• Joe Johnston

Distributor

• Universal Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

The year is 1957. As Sputnik parts the October sky over a humble West Virginia coal mining town, one idealistic teen hatches visions of sending his own rockets into space. A mere flight of fancy on the way to a preordained mining career? Not if this decent young man can win the science fair … and a ticket out.

October Sky is based on the true story of how young Homer Hickam and three classmates beat the odds and inspired a myopic community to believe that dreams are worth chasing. It’s stand-up-and-cheer fun. And it revisits an era when creativity, a thirst for knowledge and innocent boyhood exploration filled after-school hours—before kids were narcotized by VCRs, MTV, N64 and other modern marvels with names abbreviated to match shrinking attention spans.

Commercials for October Sky emphasize dew-eyed aspirations and rocket science. But equally central to the story is Homer’s strained, often adversarial relationship with his coal miner dad, a chiseled company man with a noble streak who seems committed to everyone but his son. The elder Hickam, John, is set on seeing his son follow in his coal dust-covered footsteps and vocally opposes his Homer’s desire to pursue rocketry as anything more than a hobby.

“He wants to be a scientist and his father can’t understand that. It’s like Homer saying he wants to be a martian. So they constantly bump heads,” says Jake Gyllenhaal, the fine young actor who plays Homer.

On several occasions, John viciously attacks his son’s dignity and publicly humiliates him. He and the boy square off at high volume, putting poor Mom in the middle of this stubborn clash of wills. But eventually, Dad comes through in the clutch. Elsewhere, a bold step toward reconciliation originates with Homer—a great example for adolescents who feel helpless to improve intergenerational conflict in their own homes. After the smoke clears, that volatile, ultimately redeemed father/son relationship leaves the lasting impression that healing has begun.

Despite a PG rating, the movie contains a liberal dose of mild profanity. A real disappointment. In addition, Homer’s buddy mocks virginity and coaches him on stealthily touching a girl’s breast. Brief scenes also show the boys stealing lumber and feeling the effects of moonshine. Those moments are unfortunate considering this encouraging tale’s many positive themes: cooperation, sacrifice, community, perseverance, hard work, encouragement and owning up to one’s actions.

In a time when small-town morals are seen as outdated and irrelevant, this film offers a refreshing reminder of their value. Like Rudy, Hoosiers or Fly Away Home, October Sky is a heroic, if imperfect film. It’s a shame the messages that propel it are weighed down by language that will, for some families, keep October Sky from ever getting off the ground.

Positive Elements

Spiritual elements, sexual & romantic content, violent content, crude or profane language, drug & alcohol content, other noteworthy elements.

Bob Smithouser

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October Sky Reviews

Put simply, October Sky is a great movie, the kind that restores one's faith in the power of cinema. It deserves to be cherished and treasured.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 29, 2019

...compulsively watchable...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 29, 2015

Full Review | Original Score: B | Sep 7, 2011

uplifting family film with great values

Full Review | Original Score: B | Feb 24, 2011

Inspiring tale for older tweens and up.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 26, 2010

...plays like a TV movie made for everyone who subscribes to Reader's Digest. Still, its manipulations are sincere rather than cynical...

Full Review | Apr 7, 2006

The TV movie subject matter is infused with genuine feeling for the value of learning as a passport to freedom, and an authentic regard for the honest graft of working men.

Full Review | Jan 26, 2006

Director Joe Johnston has crafted a feel good film that doesn't pander to cheap emotions.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Apr 9, 2005

October Sky is a movie you want to believe in.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 29, 2005

Any film that celebrates a teenager's ability to think instead of throw a ball ought to be cheered.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 23, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 14, 2003

Though shot in Tennessee, Johnston's October Sky successfully evokes the stifling atmosphere of a blackened 1950s town in the southern West Virginia mountains.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 8, 2003

Retreads the soggy ground staked out by Field of Dreams, with sentimental tears and group hugs as the answer to conflicting ideological standpoints.

Full Review | Dec 2, 2002

An enthralling and warm-hearted story about four high school students who taught themselves to build and fly real rockets.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 15, 2002

A sweet yet sincere coming-of-age story about fathers and sons, communities pulling together and, above all, heroes.

Full Review | Jun 5, 2002

This small, well-crafted coming-of-age docudrama is a real-life Revenge of the Nerds by way of Stand By Me.

Full Review | Mar 24, 2002

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 22, 2002

It will lift your spirit and make you feel good about all those who pursue their dreams in the face of large obstacles.

Full Review | Feb 28, 2002

...so full of spirit and letter-perfect filmmaking that I defy anyone to watch this movie without getting a tingle in his or her heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 25, 2001

The 'follow your dream' theme works, even though the son versus father sub-plot struggles at times.

Full Review | Mar 12, 2001

February 19, 1999 FILM REVIEW 'October Sky': Eyes Toward the Stars, True to His Dream Related Articles The New York Times on the Web: Current Film Forum Join a Discussion on Film By JANET MASLIN y far the most moving scenes in "October Sky" are the home-movie snippets, circa 1957, that show the real people on whom the film's characters are based. Otherwise, despite its "based on a true story" opening credit, this earnest, nostalgic film has a way of seeming too good to be true. With the gung-ho wholesomeness of a Horatio Alger story by way of Norman Rockwell, it tells how Homer H. Hickam Jr. grew up in a West Virginia coal mining town and went from telling schoolmates, "I'm gonna build a rocket like Sputnik!" to a career as a NASA engineer. The difference between aiming sky high or descending into the mine is heavily emphasized, in both visual and dramatic terms. Based on Hickam's folksy, best-selling memoir, "Rocket Boys," Joe Johnston's second and better rocket film (after "The Rocketeer") contrasts Homer's high hopes with his all-but-certain destiny. It makes the tension between this teen-ager and his tough, coal-mining father its main concern. The senior Hickam, played by Chris Cooper as a headstrong man to be reckoned with, is a hard-driving mine foreman who simply has no way of understanding his son's aspirations. Homer, played with beguiling eagerness by Jake Gyllenhaal, has to choose between frustrating his father and shooting for the stars. Comparisons to "Stand by Me" are unavoidable, since "October Sky" has a small-town intimacy, a group of close-knit pals and the kind of innocence seldom found on screen these days. What it also has is a predictable trajectory that works against such appealing simplicity. As adapted by Lewis Colick, the screenplay shifts busily among the boys' rocket exploits, Homer's family, conditions at the mine and the influence of a dedicated science teacher (Laura Dern), but each of these subplots plays out in familiar ways. Much of the story seems as inevitable as the guy who sidles up to a rocket launch with a camera around his neck, asking, "Which one of you fellas is Homer Hickam?" In a flash, Homer's picture winds up in the local paper. ADVERTISEMENT The film watches Homer progress from accidentally blowing a hole in the family's white picket fence, which virtually adjoins the mine, to learning how to make a rocket soar. With the aid of his closest buddies (Chris Owen, William Lee Scott and Chad Lindberg), Homer draws on limited local resources for his rocketry experiments. Since this means commandeering metal from railroad tracks and visiting a still for 100-proof rocket fuel, the story has its playful side. In a film that appreciates the advent of "Jailhouse Rock" along with that of Sputnik, "Ain't That a Shame?" accompanies a montage of rockets gone kerflooey. A pretty girl is on hand to sigh, "It sure was exciting watching your rockets go up!" Gyllenhaal does seem more like the Columbia University freshman he is than the rural West Virginian he plays. But he brings such sincerity to telling his science teacher that a book called "Principles of Guided Missile Design" is the best present he has ever received that his affecting performance is liable to breathe life into science projects everywhere. Owen, bespectacled and goofy as the stereotypical math geek, suits the film's taste for typecasting as well as its quaintly 1950s look, which calls for studiously modest props and costumes, and for townsfolk who are often Rockwellishly agog. Cooper gives natural authority and a second or third dimension to the senior Homer, who is here called John and, of course, eventually comes to appreciate his son's achievements. As Homer's mother, Natalie Canerday of "Sling Blade" shows more zest than even the niftiest schoolboy rocket launch can provide. "October Sky" is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). It includes mild profanity and is otherwise quite suitable for children. PRODUCTION NOTES 'OCTOBER SKY' Directed by Joe Johnston; written by Lewis Colick, based on the book "Rocket Boys," by Homer H. Hickam Jr.; director of photography, Fred Murphy; edited by Robert Dalva; music by Mark Isham; production designer, Barry Robison; produced by Charles Gordon and Larry Franco; released by Universal Pictures. Running time: 100 minutes. This film is rated PG. WITH: Jake Gyllenhaal (Homer Hickam), Chris Cooper (John Hickam), William Lee Scott (Roy Lee), Chris Owen (Quentin), Chad Lindberg (O'Dell), Natalie Canerday (Elsie Hickam) and Laura Dern (Miss Riley).