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October Sky (1999)

tomatometer

90

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 72
Fresh: 65 | Rotten: 7

Rich in sweet sincerity, intelligence, and good old-fashioned inspirational drama, October Sky is a coming-of-age story with a heart to match its Hollywood craftsmanship.

87

Average Rating: 7.2/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 2

Rich in sweet sincerity, intelligence, and good old-fashioned inspirational drama, October Sky is a coming-of-age story with a heart to match its Hollywood craftsmanship.

audience

84

liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 61,312

My Rating

Movie Info

NASA engineer Homer H. Hickam, Jr.'s autobiography provided the basis for this drama about a teenager coming of age at the dawn of the space race. In 1957, Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a high school student in Coalwood, West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust, Homer is instantly fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design. While many of Homer's

PG, 1 hr. 47 min.

Drama

Lewis Colick

Jul 29, 1999

Universal

Cast

All Critics (72) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (7) | DVD (26)

It is a film that treats its teen-aged hero and his pals as distinctive, sentient human beings.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Detroit News | Comment
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

As adapted by Lewis Colick, the screenplay shifts busily among the boys' rocket exploits, Homer's family, conditions at the mine and the influence of a dedicated science teacher, but each of these subplots plays out in familiar ways.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comments (3)
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

One of the best in recent years!

January 1, 2000 Comment
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Sweetness is too rare in movies these days, so audiences can feel lucky about the earnest dose of it in October Sky. This film is family.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Another Universal Pictures paint-by-numbers feel-gooder!

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comments (2)
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

October Sky is a sensational character-driven story with a strong narrative and great visual style.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: CNN.com | Comment
CNN.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

uplifting family film with great values

February 24, 2011 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | Comment

Inspiring tale for older tweens and up.

December 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

...plays like a TV movie made for everyone who subscribes to Reader's Digest. Still, its manipulations are sincere rather than cynical...

April 7, 2006 Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | Comment
DVDJournal.com

The TV movie subject matter is infused with genuine feeling for the value of learning as a passport to freedom, and an authentic regard for the honest graft of working men.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Director Joe Johnston has crafted a feel good film that doesn't pander to cheap emotions.

April 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | Comment
Reeling Reviews

The film is essentially a slice of feel-good, Hallmark-type entertainment.

February 11, 2005 Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine | Comment

Johnston seems to have a real feel for family filmmaking with depth, and he doesn't simplify Hickam's true story with easy answers.

February 10, 2005 Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | Comment
CinemaBlend.com

October Sky is a movie you want to believe in.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Comment
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The extras on the disc are not numerous, but they are excellent.

January 21, 2005 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | Comment
Apollo Guide

Any film that celebrates a teenager's ability to think instead of throw a ball ought to be cheered.

September 23, 2003 Full Review | Comment
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Though shot in Tennessee, Johnston's October Sky successfully evokes the stifling atmosphere of a blackened 1950s town in the southern West Virginia mountains.

February 8, 2003 Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | Comment
Film Quips Online

Retreads the soggy ground staked out by Field of Dreams, with sentimental tears and group hugs as the answer to conflicting ideological standpoints.

December 2, 2002 Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | Comment (1)
Sight and Sound

An enthralling and warm-hearted story about four high school students who taught themselves to build and fly real rockets.

October 15, 2002 Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | Comment
Cincinnati Enquirer

A sweet yet sincere coming-of-age story about fathers and sons, communities pulling together and, above all, heroes.

June 5, 2002 Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | Comment
Boxoffice Magazine

This small, well-crafted coming-of-age docudrama is a real-life Revenge of the Nerds by way of Stand By Me.

March 24, 2002 Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | Comment
Boston Phoenix

It will lift your spirit and make you feel good about all those who pursue their dreams in the face of large obstacles.

February 28, 2002 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | Comment
Spirituality and Practice

...so full of spirit and letter-perfect filmmaking that I defy anyone to watch this movie without getting a tingle in his or her heart.

October 25, 2001 Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | Comment
SPLICEDWire
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for October Sky

This is the true story of Homer Hickam, Jr.- a bright teenager obsessed with rockets and science who, much to the befuddlement of his family and neighbors of his small, working class coal mining town, defied the odds to follow his dreams during the space race years of the 50s. It's a very inspiring story that is filled

January 11, 2012
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

Deeply moving with a whole lot of heart. It's something you'll want to believe in because it is something to believe for.

November 5, 2011
Adriel Lim

Super Reviewer

    1. Roy Lee: Science fairs are for geeks.
    – Submitted by Nicholas B (5 months ago)
    1. Homer Hickam: I wouldn't care if you lived in the Governor's mansion, I'd still think you are weird.
    – Submitted by Jeff J (6 months ago)

Latest News for October Sky

February 5, 2008:
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