October Sky Response

5.3 Critical Response (Final Draft)

The story told in Joe Johnson's film October Sky (1999) is a beautiful one and a true one. I was really enthusiastic to watch this movie, because I love to watch movies based on true stories. I find they teach us many lesson through their experiences. The four teenage boys Homer Hickam, Quentin Wilson, Roy Lee Cooke, and Sherman O'Dell are very devoted to fulfill their dream of rocketry. The boys are first inspired by the Sputnik 1, the first satellite launched into the earth's orbit. But everyone in the town of Coalwood is destined to become coal-miners, unless they are lucky enough to get a football scholarship. To everyone coal-mining was Homer's only future, just like his father. Homer and his friends fearlessly begin learning how to build rockets and testing them. The whole town is not behind them and believe they're wasting their time, especially Homer's father John Hickam. The only one who strongly supports them is their teacher, Miss. Riley. She tells them that they can contend in The National Science Fair. The prize being college scholarships. By examining their experience you learn a lot about striving to achieve a goal, no matter what the odds.

Homer has always rebelled against the coalmine and his fathers wiches. He is very hopeful for his dream of doing rocket science and won't stop until he reaches it. He cares a lot for his family and the people around him, especially Miss. Riley. When Homer's father got injured and couldn't work in the mine temporarily, Homer understood that he had to give up his dream and work in his father's place. But it is until Miss. Riley grow sick and Homer visits her, then she tells him "Sometime you really can't listen to what anybody else says, you just got to listen inside." His ambition is renewed. Homer leaves the mine and continues to go into The National Science Fair, he get excepted. He ends up winning the gold metal, and he and his friends all earn scholarships.

Miss. Riley has always been such a support for Homer. She always stuck out for him in the hopes that he would make a difference. When the boys were in the lunchroom looking at their rocket, the principal didn't allow the rocket in his school. Miss. Riley covered for them saying they were planning to enter The National Science Fair. She brought hope to the boys, even though they didn't seem like the smartest kids around. She never stop at anything even as she was dieing and Homer seemed to have given up his dreams.

As for John Hickam he did not support Homer in any of his efforts. In fact he was against him. The only thing that seemed important to him was his pride, the coalmine, and Coalwood. When Homer lets go of his dreams to work in the mine John was very proud and begins to finally apricate but when Homer goes on continuing rocketry he doesn't support him at all. Until his wife, Elsie begs him while the strike is going on to help Homer when his rocket part were stolen in the science fair. John listen to his wife and finally sticks out for his son. He stops the strike and tells Mr. Bolden "Don't you have work to do?" John learns that going difficulties and even scaring his pride is important to achieve his goals. After Homer goes home he and the boys decide to shoot their last rocket. Homer asks his father if he would come watch them shoot their last rocket, but he excuses him for his work. Then Homer tells him "I only hope I could as good as a man as you are... Sure Dr von Braun is a great scientist, but he isn't my hero." John was stunned by that and later ends up watching Homer and the boys shoot their last rocket. For the first time John is completely behind his son.

Looking at their experiences and the consequences they had taken, it really reflected to the theme of the movie. They would have never achieved any of their goals if they hadn't tried their hardest even against all the odds. Homer does whatever it takes to achieve his goals, he walked 8 miles off company property to test his rockets when his father baned him. He still had hope even when the boys were charges for starting a forest fire. And even after working in the mine Homer decided he'd quit and continue rocketry, knowing his father would be disappointed. Miss Riley is very caring and understanding, and tries to help Homer and the boys in anyway she can. She motivates and believes in them, causing her to strive and do whatever it takes in the hope of achieving something. Even as she was laying in the deathbed. She did everything she could to support these boys. The best representation of this theme is when John Hickam didn't stop at anything to save the people from the mine, even if it ment risking his life.for he saved many lives from this action. All of them made sacrifices and had consequences but they all had good results. This story shows the achievement people made, with no hesitation to strive to make a difference.