October Sky was a great movie. Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) was a senior in Coalwood West Virginia. In Coalwood, the only way to get out is by getting a football scholarship. Without it, the only job left was to work in the mine. Since Homer is horrible at football and refuses to go to the mines, even though his dad is the captain, he has to find another way. Then, when he sees the Russian satellite Sputnik, he knows what to do. Build a rocket! So Homer and a couple of his friends become the Rocket Boys. They all don’t want to work in the mines and are determined to get out.

But unlike today, there is no one to teach them how to build a rocket so they have to figure it out themselves. So they teach themselves college level math just to learn what shape to make the rocket. Then they need to learn how to make their rockets not explode every time they launch them. This was the best part of the movie; you were lucky enough to watch a montage of rocket launches and explosions.

Director Joe Johnston did a wonderful job directing this movie. I would give it 8.5 out of 10. You could tell by the music type and the lighting whether the mood was sad, angry, or happy. For example, in the rocket montage, the mood was happy, and the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and you could hear a light bouncy music.

This movie would be great for anyone above nine, since there are a few swear words in the movie. It’s a great family movie, and one that is sure to make you laugh. Although Homer and his dad don’t exactly see eye to eye on everything, they are a family. As the movie progresses you can see them both realizing that.