October Sky

[capnzebbie]

When I got home from my errands today, my dad had just seen the movie October Sky. It's about a group of boys in the late 1950s who teach themselves rocket science in an effort to make their way out of their Virginia mining town. He was telling me all about it (he likes describing movies and books and things at great length), and I noticed that one of his eyes looked a bit damp. I figured it was allergies.

Then, as he got to the end of the movie, I noticed that both of his eyes were a bit damp. I said, "Wow, Dad, you're getting all choked up about this movie about engineers, aren't you?" And he laughed a little and said, "Yeah, I guess I am." (My dad is a retired engineer)

So I grinned and said, "Well, I guess I need to watch this movie. Engineers are my heroes, too." I was teasing, but it's kind of true. My favorite scene in the movie, Apollo 13 is the one where the guy comes into the room full engineers and says, "Gentlemen, we need to figure out a way to fit this (large square thing) into the slot for this (small cylindrical thing) using nothing but this (random assortment of stuff available on a stranded lunar module)." And they figure out a way to do it. I love that bit.

So anyway, I watched October Sky, and it was really great! Jake Gyllenhaal is the star and Chris Cooper plays his coal miner dad with whom he has a difficult relationship. And, bonus, an actress from Arkansas plays Jake's mother. It's a great movie, very interesting and exciting, with a very touching ending. Also, based on a true story.

Comments

[mahaliem.livejournal.com]

October Sky really is a wonderful movie and it makes my husband cry each time he watches it, so your dad shouldn't feel bad.

The first time we saw it was in the theater and my son (who was around 8 at the time) was so jazzed about it, he wanted to see it again. Immediately.

[capnzebbie.livejournal.com]

It really was wonderful! I've never seen my dad tear up about a movie before. Truly, I think it was that he was touched by the reconciliation between Homer and his dad. That was so well done. My grampa was kind of a stoic man who did manual labor for the oil industry and my dad went on to college to become an engineer, so I think he identified with Homer's character.

[shattered.livejournal.com]

I love this film and how it maintains this wonderfully gentle and poignant quality to it. And count me in as another person who gets misty-eyed when watching it.

[rhiannonhero.livejournal.com]

Part of that movie was filmed in my hometown (Knoxville, TN). The shots of the town and stuff, amongst other things. :)

[capnzebbie.livejournal.com]

It really is a wonderful movie. And Chris Cooper does such a great job playing a complex character.

[capnzebbie.livejournal.com]

Don't you love it when that happens? I always like seeing bits of Arkansas in movies.