The Good: Jake Gyllenhaal, his buddies, and the stuff they explodeThe Bad: Predictable ending;West Virginian accents
Bottom Line: A true, but cliche, story with a convincing cast demonstrates anything is possible with a lot of passion and a bit of
luck.
If you’re looking for that quick ticket out of the blues, the uplifting, coming-of-age story in October Sky, may just be the answer. Based on a true story, the film is set in 1957, the year Sputnik was launched into space. While it was an exciting time in world, the people in Coalwood, West Virginia could care less. They only understood the coal mine that employed their small town and beyond that, there wasn't much else.
This didn't leave much hope for Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal), who after seeing Sputnik, wanted to follow in the path of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun instead of his father's. With a small-town education and little support from his family, Homer enters the science fair to pursue his dream and this is where the magic of the movie takes flight. We are taken on Homer's journey to win the science fair as he visits libraries, experiments with his own concoctions, and inadvertently destroys his mother's fence.
With limited success on his own, Homer enlists the help of his schoolmates including Roy Lee (William Lee Scott), Odell (Chad Lindberg), and the oddball math genius Quentin (Chris Owen). Together, they begin constructing more sophisticated rockets, create bigger explosions, and we laugh with them as we're reminded that boys will be boys.
While the comical group picks up local supporters, like their teacher Miss Riley (Laura Dern), the chilling presence of Homer's coal mining father, John (Chris Cooper) seems to provide little hope that Homer will ever be allowed to reach his lofty goal. When local authorities accuse Homer and his friends of starting a fire with a lost rocket and his father is injured in the mine, even Homer seems to doubt himself. Everything seems to be going wrong for him and although we know it works out in the end (Yes, I spoiled the ending, but I mean come on, did you really think I would recommend a feel good movie with a sad ending?), we seem to root for every thing this kid stands for: relentless ambition and the idea that we're all destined for something bigger.
In his first lead role, the young Gyllenhaal does a remarkable job. He has the naivety and starry-eyed view that anything is possible. And in spite of the circumstances that surround him—the traditional values that plague Coalwood or the mockery of his ambitions by the town—Hickam carries on and is only mildly setback. While Homer’s father is convinced his son’s future is predetermined, Homer is optimistic of the future and his ability to shape it. This is a perspective so often lost with age and although the movie is largely unsurprising, it highlights the persistent effort and positive frame of mind needed to enact real change in Coalwood, the US, or the world. And it’s important to mention that it also includes a fantastic supporting cast, most notably the tough Chris Cooper and warm Laura Dern.
While the comical group picks up local supporters, like their teacher Miss Riley (Laura Dern), the chilling presence of Homer's coal mining father, John (Chris Cooper) seems to provide little hope that Homer will ever be allowed to reach his lofty goal. When local authorities accuse Homer and his friends of starting a fire with a lost rocket and his father is injured in the mine, even Homer seems to doubt himself. Everything seems to be going wrong for him and although we know it works out in the end (Yes, I spoiled the ending, but I mean come on, did you really think I would recommend a feel good movie with a sad ending?), we seem to root for every thing this kid stands for: relentless ambition and the idea that we're all destined for something bigger.
In his first lead role, the young Gyllenhaal does a remarkable job. He has the naivety and starry-eyed view that anything is possible. And in spite of the circumstances that surround him—the traditional values that plague Coalwood or the mockery of his ambitions by the town—Hickam carries on and is only mildly setback. While Homer’s father is convinced his son’s future is predetermined, Homer is optimistic of the future and his ability to shape it. This is a perspective so often lost with age and although the movie is largely unsurprising, it highlights the persistent effort and positive frame of mind needed to enact real change in Coalwood, the US, or the world. And it’s important to mention that it also includes a fantastic supporting cast, most notably the tough Chris Cooper and warm Laura Dern.
So if your goal is to inspire and uplift then this is one of the most enjoyable movies to serve that purpose, but if you’re looking for an original drama with a suspenseful plot, I suggest you walk past this film in the aisles of your local Blockbuster.
1 comments:
I noticed a few things while reading your review that I felt could be improved. First of all, it didn't read as a review so much as it did as a summary (it really seemed like it was an excerpt from the back of the DVD). I didn't really get a review feel until the second to last paragraph. Maybe you could offer an opinion of the various scenes you discussed to give the reader an idea of how the actors performed. The introduction paragraph is unnecessary in my opinion, just reword the second paragraph and you're good to go. No one wants to read a paragraph of filler.
On the upside, I enjoyed that you attached the trailer as well as the picture of the star. Both cemented images in my head of what to expect. Also, the order of the image and movie was key. If you had placed the trailer first I would have pushed play and then begun reading - paying little attention to either - by placing the trailer at the back you leave the reader with a satisfied experience.
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