October Sky [Blu-ray]

Director: Joe Johnston Joe Johnston

Overview

This drama is based on NASA engineer Homer H. Hickam, Jr's autobiography. In 1957, Homer Hickman is a high-school student in West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik. Fascinated, Homer begins designing his own missiles. However, Homer's father takes a dim view of his son's interest in rockets.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/14/2017
UPC:	0025192072871
Original Release:	1999
Rating:	PG
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00
Sales rank:	3,407

Special Features

Aiming high: the story of the rocket boys; Feature commentary with Homer Hickam; Spotlight on location; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jake Gyllenhaal	Homer Hickam
Chris Cooper	John Hickam
Laura Dern	Frieda Riley
Chris Owen	Quentin Wilson
William Lee Scott	Roy Lee Cook
Chad Lindberg	Sherman O'Dell
Natalie Canerday	Elsie Hickam
Scott Miles	Jim Hickam
Randy Stripling	Leon Bolden
Chris Ellis	Principal Turner
Elya Baskin	Ike Bykovsky
Courtney Fendley	Dorothy Platt
David Dwyer	Jake Mosby
Terry Loughlin	Mr. Dantzler
Kaili Hollister	Valentine Carmina,Actor
David Copeland	Coach Gainer
Don Henderson Baker	Jensen
Tom Kagy	Lenny
Donald Thorne	Trooper One
Justin Whitsett	Kid
Larry Rue	Neighbor
Neva Howell	Neighbor
Terry Nienhuis	Neighbor
Brady Coleman	Anderson
Rick Forrester	Roper
Terrence Gibney	Basil Thorpe
Doug Swander	Corvette Guy,Corvette Guy
Keeli Hale Kimbro	Corvette Girl
Mark Jeffrey Miller	Vernon
Blaque Fowler	Reverend
Don Tilley	Rescue Worker
Rockford Davis	Chemistry Teacher
John Bennes	Doctor
Jonathan Fawbush	Barney
Larry Black	Fred Smith
Frank Schuler	Moonshiner
Tommy Smeltzer	Man at Mine
Charles Lawlor	Miner
Tom Turbiville	Miner
Ida Ginn	Quentin's Mom
Richard Lumpkin	Judge at Welch
Mark Whitman Johnson	Union Official
Don Taylor	Union Official,Judge at Indy,Miner in Elevator
Don G. Campbell	Mr. Morris
Elizabeth Byler	Ivy League Girl
Bradford Ryan Lund	Ivy League Boy
David Hager	Head Judge
Ray Elder	Tom Webster
Andy Stahl	Jack Palmer
Joey DiGaetano	Wernher Von Braun
David Ducey	Man in Crowd
Jenny Patterson	Nurse
O. Winston Link	Locomotive Engineer
Scott Thomas	Jim Hickam
Courtney Cole-Fendley	Dorothy Platt
Mark Isham	Composer

Technical Credits

Lewis Colick

Joe Johnston	Director
Lewis Colick	Screenwriter
Peter Cramer	Executive Producer,Producer
Cliff Cudney	Stunts
Joey DiGaetano	Special Effects
Nancy Foy	Casting
Larry Franco	Producer,Producer
Charles Gordon	Producer
Marc Sternberg	Executive Producer,Producer
Joel Aron	Special Effects
Charlie Ajar Jr.	Sound Effects
Thom Brennan	Sound Effects
Michael C. Casper	Sound Effects
Mary H. Ellis	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Bill Fibben	Sound Effects
Robert L. Girard	Special Effects
Gary Pilkington	Special Effects
Bill Johnson	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Joe Johnston's sentimental film, based on NASA engineer Homer Hickam's autobiographical The Rocket Boys, is a largely breezy, uplifting picture. A Stand By Me for space and science enthusiasts, the film features an excellent young cast, with Jacob Gyllenhaal, Chris Owen, and Chad Lindberg sharing the screen with veterans Laura Dern and Chris Cooper, the latter playing Homer's old-fashioned father with grit and feeling. The tear-jerking plot gathers strength by playing upon the viewer's emotions, and also benefits from its setting in a dim West Virginia mining town, which starkly contrasts with the film's lilting tone. The dark, coal-like tint suggests that the mining town is a virtually inescapable biosphere, a seemingly desolate reality that makes the film's conclusion all the more effective. Johnston's adaptation shores up the details of the book magnificently, moving from one plot point to the next in a free and easy fashion, making for a full-blooded and well-executed film.