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On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union made history by putting the first man-made satellite into orbit. The 184-pound object caught the attention of Americans as every 96-minute circumnavigation of the earth reminded them that the Soviets had reached space first. This reminder took various forms. For some it was a frightening glimpse of the communist shadow that loomed from the East. For others it was a source of amazement and inspiration. It was a long journey, but our species had climbed down from the trees, reached for the stars, and touched them. These were the days of Sputnik. While Moscow and Washington mulled over the implications of Sputnik 1, Homer Hickman, a high school student in the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia, turned his heart toward rocketry. As a young man in a 1950s coal town, Homer had only one possible future: a lifetime of mining. But with this newfound interest came an open door leading out of Coalwood. Based on a true story that was previously recounted by Hickman’s son, Homer Hickman, Jr., in the book Rocket Boys, October Sky is a wonderful example of the power of education to liberate people, and also of the ignorance and resistance to change that permeates our society. In the movie these two opposites are embodied by Homer’s science teacher, Miss Riley, on the positive side, and his father on the negative side. Taken with the whole concept of building and launching rockets, Homer and some friends came together in an attempt to duplicate what the Soviets had done; but on a much smaller scale (and certainly with more limited financial resources). Idolizing Wernher von Braun, Homer took it upon himself to learn higher math and achieve his goal of building and launching a model rocket from scratch. The odds were stacked against him—what with the general apathy of the community and hostility of his father—but Homer forged on. When the hard work was done and the harvest arrived, the rewards were bittersweet. In the midst of success Homer found himself viewed as a failure by his father, who always took pride
The copyright of the article October Sky (Movie Review) in Science Fiction & Society is owned by Christopher B. Jones. Permission to republish October Sky (Movie Review) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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