There aren't any major celebrities here (except for maybe Laura Dern as the motivational teacher), but the acting is topnotch, especially by Chris Cooper (he received critical acclaim for his performance in "Lone Star," which I never saw, but I DID see him in the recent "Great Expectations," and he was great there). He played the father of the boy with the dream, and he did an excellent job with a very complex character. Do we like him? Do we dislike him? Chris Cooper hit the right note every time he was on the screen. The main character of "Homer Hickam" was played by Jake Gyllenhaal. I haven't seen a lot of his work (well, I remember him as Billy Crystal's son in "City Slickers"), but he really impressed me here.
"October Sky" was based on the book, "Rocket Boys," which was written by the man that the movie is based on, Homer Hickam. The screenplay was written by Lewis Colick (whose prior movies aren't NEARLY as good... "Ghosts of Mississippi," "Judgment Night," "Unlawful Entry," and "The Dirt Bike Kid"), and it's wonderful. The director was Joe Johnston, who also directed "Jumanji," "The Rocketeer," and "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids." This is his first non-family movie, and he handled it with great skill. Excellent stuff.
Yes, "October
Sky" has sappy moments, but they're not as bad as they could be. I absolutely
loved this movie, and though it may be naive, it helped me to reaffirm my
belief in the American Dream. I know that it's no longer hip (and it's certainly
not politically-correct) to talk about the American Dream, but I sure feel
great happiness for those who achieve it. I can't wait for my turn.