The plot follows the usual formula, so that were it a rocket, one could predict within a matter of feet where it would land.
Comment
01/01/00
Rate this Movie 
October Sky (1999)
93
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:59
Fresh:55
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Convincing, uplifting performances provides compelling look at small town dreams.
Runtime: 2 hrs 33 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: The true story of Homer Hickam, a young boy trapped in a close-minded coal-mining town in the 1950's. When Sputnik is successfully launched, Homer becomes obsessed with the concept of rocket... [More]
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen
Director: Joe Johnston
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Reviews for October Sky
Believable, subtle, and consistently intelligent!
01/01/00
Top Critic...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.
10/25/01
...plays like a TV movie made for everyone who subscribes to Reader's Digest. Still, its manipulations are sincere rather than cynical...
04/07/06
It will lift your spirit and make you feel good about all those who pursue their dreams in the face of large obstacles.
02/28/02
The 'follow your dream' theme works, even though the son versus father sub-plot struggles at times.
03/12/01
October Sky will go straight to the heart of any man who recalls looking up at the night sky as a boy and getting stars in his eyes.
01/01/00
Top CriticThe unforced and honest power of the emotion ever so quietly sneaks up on you by film's end.
01/01/00
A substantial and entertaining tale whose portrait of learning and intelligence, family and friendship, is in stark contrast to the typical Hollywood fare.
01/01/00
This movie has deep values.
01/01/00
Top CriticA story both grounded and ascendent, a movie that puts your emotions in orbit.
01/01/00
A must-see for every student, parent and teacher in the country!
01/01/00
Top CriticA breakout performance by Jake Gyllenhaal!
01/01/00
How refreshing to watch idealism and sentimentality presented onscreen without the usual cheap manipulative tricks so beloved by Hollywood schlockmeisters!
01/01/00
Fun and amusing!
01/01/00
Inspirational!
01/01/00
Immensely entertaining and unabashedly inspirational!
01/01/00
Top CriticOctober Sky is a movie you want to believe in.
01/29/05
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.
01/01/00
Top CriticPlays like something spewed out by a top-drawer screenwriting program!
01/01/00
Latest News for October Sky
February 05, 2008:
Joe Johnston Takes the Reins of Universal's Wolf Man
Mere days after being left at the altar by (ex-) director Mark Romanek, Universal's The Wolf Man has found itself a new helmer. More...
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