October Sky (1999) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern. It's 1957, and Homer Hickam (Gyllenhaal) lives in the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia. The Russians have just launched Sputnik, and Homer is inspired to build his own rocket. But his father (Cooper), who works in the coal mines, thinks Homer is prone to flights of fancy. In Homer's corner is his teacher, Miss Riley (Dern), who longs to see someone besides a football star escape the fate of working in the mines. She sees an opportunity for Homer to go to a national science fair and win a scholarship. The soundtrack is filled to bursting with popular songs from the '50s, giving the movie a strong undertone of nostalgia. The fact that it's based on a true story, and the Homer Hickam is a real person, only adds to the impact. The subtitles for the hearing-impaired are excellent. Grade: A-
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