It's rare that I'm not doing anything on a Saturday afternoon, so when I found myself in this position today, I took full advantage and planted myself on the couch with TV remote in-hand. I was going to watch Life is Beautiful, but I came in a little too late (the bane of the Saturday film-on-TV hunter). I flipped over to Bravo! only to find I had made it just in time to catch the beginning of October Sky, a film that has lived on my perennial list of those I've wanted to see but have continuously passed over in favour of others.
Well, today I gave October Sky a shot, and it definitely didn't disappoint.
October Sky is based on the memoirs of Homer Hickam Jr, a writer, Vietnam veteran and former NASA engineer. Hickam's original memoir, titled "Rocket Boys" was actually changed to October Sky - an anagram of Rocket Boys - in an attempt to broaden the film's appeal and avoid pigeon-holing it as a Sci-Fi flick. Excellent move, I think, as October Sky is as far from being being a Sci-Fi flick as Scarlett Johansson is a credible singer.
Directed by Joe Johnson (Hildago, Jumanji), October Sky stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickam, a high-school student who dreams of escaping his small West Virginia coal-mining town. Chris Cooper plays Homer's father John, the big boss at the local coal mine whose life begins and ends with his job. John dotes heavily over his eldest son Jim (played by Scott Miles), the at times typical jock-like star quarterback who's football prowess gives him the power to leave their small town in favour of a college scholarship. Homer is desperate to follow in his brother's footsteps and earn his own college scholarship, and avoid a life of shovelling coal underground. With no athletic skill to speak of, Homer's chances of escape seem slim, a fact to which he is painfully aware, putting him a constant odds with his father.
Everything changes for Homer when he gathers with a group of townspeople to watch the newly-launched Russian satellite Sputnik soar through the sky. Homer is so transfixed by this monumental ball of steel, that he announces to his family somewhat haphazardly the following morning that he's going to build a rocket - much to the chagrin of his father. Not being the brightest student, Homer reaches out to Quentin (played by Chris Owen), the school's resident nerd. Together with his friends Roy Lee and O'Dell (William Lee Scott and Chad Lindberg respectively), the group embarks on a quest to successfully build and launch a rocket of their own.
The plot pretty much drives itself from that point on. The group of boys face a great uphill battle in their quest to launch their rockets but ultimately triumph over adversity. With the help of their nurturing and motivational teacher Miss Riley (Laura Dern), the boys discover they all have what it takes to rise up and leave their small town in search of bigger and better things. To use an obviously referential cliche, 'the rest is history.' Homer Hickam goes on to become a successful NASA rocket scientist and has since gone to work both the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station, among other projects.
October Sky is not a groundbreaking film, stylistically-speaking. After all, it does follows the typical three-act structure that typifies most pursuit-of-the-American-dream-type films, and doesn't do anything to really deviate from this model. It is, however, a tightly-knit yet simple film that left me feeling relaxing and serene once it was all over. No cliffhangers, or stressful situations, just a happy conclusion. There's something to be said for films like this.
I'm not stupid. I knew October Sky was going to play out this way. I think this might even be the reason why I had been putting off seeing it for as long as I did. Had I seen it in the theatre, it's possible I may have come out feeling a little underwhelmed, but in the confines of my living room, I found October Sky to be completely conducive to the chilled-out mood I try to propagate on a Saturday afternoon.
Jake Gyllenhaal was also fantastic in what really amounts to his break-out role as Homer Hickam. I've always liked Gyllenhaal's facially-expressive acting style, and it was great to see it put to good use in October Sky. My stock in Gyllenhaal has been steadily dropping lately (I think he looks out of place as the lead in the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time adaptation. For what it's worth, the film itself doesn't look that great either), so it's was nice to come back to the humble, slightly forlorn type of character he started out playing.
I liked October Sky because I didn't have to think about it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend running out and buying it, but if you find yourself flipping through the channels on a Saturday afternoon, and you come across it on TV, October Sky is definitely worth a visit.
Pros:
- Compact plot line makes it an easy and non-intrusive film to get into.
- Jake Gyllenhaal is wonderful in the role that launched his career, pun intended (ha). Laura Dern and Chris Cooper are also fantastic.
- Neat that it's based on the true story of a NASA rocket scientist.
Cons:
- Simplistic plot line could be a hindrance to people not watching on a laid back Saturday afternoon.
- Plot moves a little slowly.
- If you hate three-act-structure American feel good stories, don't even bother with this one.
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