October Sky (Special Edition)
by Joe Johnston
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chris Cooper, Chris Owen, Jake Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern, William Lee ScottDirector: Joe Johnston
Brand: Universal
Cinematographer: Fred Murphy
Producer: Charles Gordon
Producer: Larry J. Franco
Producer: Marc Sternberg
Producer: Peter Cramer
Writer: Homer H. Hickam Jr.
Writer: Lewis Colick
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-25
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of October Sky (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Based on a true story
Summary: 4 Stars
A beautiful and inspiring story of a 17-year-old boy who dreams of sending a rocket into space in the West Virginia coal mining town of Coalwood. The year is 1957 and Sputnik has just been launched. Its orbit through the night sky is seen by many but touches one teenager's imagination - despite his coalminer father's grim prediction that he will soon follow him into the mines.
Undaunted, he and three other classmates labor day and night to build a rocket that will soar into the sky. After many failed trials and setbacks, they succeed with the encouragement of a dedicated teacher played by Laura Dern. Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this family-friendly movie that also provides a nostalgic trip down memory lane for those old enough to remember the 50s and the exhilarating songs of early Rock and Roll.
Summary of October Sky (Special Edition)
Coalwood, West Virginia, 1957. Working in the coal mines is an inescapable way of life in this small town. When high schooler Homer Hickam, Jr. (Jake Gyllenhaal) sees the Sputnik satellite in the night sky, he dares to break free of the mines and reach for the stars. With the support of his teacher (Laura Dern) and three friends, Homer sets out on an inspiring quest to build his own rocket. Overcoming a poor education, a tough father (Chris Cooper) and a series of misfires, Homer turns his dreams into reality in this incredible true story of hope, determination and triumph. "You'll laugh with it, cry with it, and go away absolutely loving it," says Robert Butler (Knight Ridder News Service) of the critically acclaimed October Sky.This special edition dvd includes:
*Aiming High: The Story of the Rocket Boys, starring the real Rocket Boys.
*Feature Commentary with Homer Hickam
*Spotlight on Location
*Production Notes
*Theatrical Trailer
Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer?H. Hickam Jr., October Sky emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999--a small miracle of good ol' fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Hickam's true story begins in 1957 with Russia's historic launch of the Sputnik satellite, and while Homer (played with smart idealism by Jake Gyllenhaal) sees Sputnik as his cue to pursue a fascination with rocketry, his father (Chris Cooper) epitomizes the admirable yet sternly stubborn working-man's ethic of the West Virginia coal miner, casting fear and disdain on Homer's pursuit of science while urging his "errant" son to carry on the family business--a spirit-killing profession that Homer has no intention of joining.
As directed by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer), this wonderful movie is occasionally guilty of overstating its case and sacrificing subtlety for predictable melodrama. But more often the film's tone is just right, and the spirit of adventure and invention is infectiously conveyed through Gyllenhaal and his well-cast fellow rocketeers, whose many failures gradually lead to triumph on their makeshift backwoods launching pad. Capturing time and place with impeccable detail and superbly developed characters (including Laura Dern as an inspiring schoolteacher), October Sky is a family film for the ages, encouraging the highest potential of the human spirit while giving viewers a clear view of a bygone era when "the final frontier" beckoned to the explorer in all of us. --Jeff Shannon
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