October Sky
October SkyHomer Hickam was a young boy from a West Virginia mining town who hungered for his father�s approval. He knew he could earn it by following in his father�s footsteps and spending his life down in the mines. But Homer had a dream�to go to college and to devote his life to rocket technology. October Sky was the true story of the pivotal events that led Homer Hickam to move closer to his two goals of reaching for the sky and gaining his father�s respect.
The title of October Sky is very significant. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first man-made satellite, in the sky on October 5, 1997. Hence the name of the movie October Sky. In the Soviet Union's announcement about the launch of the satellite, they said "the world could now see how the new socialist society turns even the most daring of man's dreams into a reality." After the launch of Sputnik, everything changed in Homer Hickam's life: his social life, intelligence, leadership, and his future. The launch of Sputnik captured the public's imagination and influenced many people as well as Homer to learn more about the satellite and space. It was in the October Sky that people around the world finally realized the capabilities of mankind; they realized man can turn his dreams into reality, just like Homer did. His dream to fly off into the October Sky was an influence for him to become a NASA engineer. The dream then became developed into a reality.
When Homer's teacher tells him "You can't just dream your way out of Coalwood," she wanted Homer to stop dreaming about going to college and dreaming about rocket technology, but actually try and do it himself. Homer�s effort to make the football team as a stepping stone to getting a college scholarship showed his courage and determination. Although he failed in sports, he quickly realized that the field of science and rocketry could offer him an even better opportunity to build an exciting, satisfying future. Miss Riley's statement influenced Homer to urge for a college scholarship and try to succeed in the area of rocketry. When Homer decided to work in the mines, which he vowed not to go in, he sacrificed his education and his future dream all for his family's well being. Miss Riley gained disappointments for Homer when she found out that he was working in the mines even with his vast knowledge and capability in science. After all the things she did for Homer to get a good education and trying to influence him for a "life outside of Coalwood," it seemed that Miss Riley thought of herself as a failure of being a good teacher. After Miss Riley spoke to Homer, he was quickly inspired to try harder for the college scholarship to try and get a job dealing with his passion in amateur rockets and science....
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