 | As a symbol of freedom and adventure, space is also a romantic frontier. The 1999 film, October Sky, based on Homer Hickam's biographical novel, Rocket Boys, illustrates the excitement, motivation, and sense of personal potential and achievement that can result when private individuals set out on their own to conquer the final frontier. Just after Sputnik I was launched on October 5, 1957, three boys from a poor, dying, mining town in southern West Virginia decide that they are not about to turn over outer space to the Communists. Over a three-year period, Hickam and his friends learn a great deal about rocketry, successfully launch numerous rockets in front of large supportive crowds, and eventually win the National Science Fair.This film encourages the highest potential of the human spirit. Homer and his friends tirelessly follow their dreams with the help of their inspiring teacher, Miss Riley, played by Laura Dern, and helpful people from their town. |
