Finally, it ends with another launch. Set in 1957, the film follows young Homer (Gyllenhaal) in the mining town of Coalwood, West Virgina, where almost every man works in the mine. Being the dedicated teacher she is, she continues working up until the point she physically can't. Stephenson urged him to do so. This moment is told through the eyes of young boys who stay up all night to see the images of the launch. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Roy Lee threatens to ask Dorothy out before Sonny can. The struggle with both father and brother, the difficulty with girls, learning about rockets, and the worry about the Russians are all shown in this chapter. Daisy Mae is his calico cat that Sonny found in the mountains. Sonny has a stomach ache and a head ache. With the support of his teacher Miss Riley [Laura Dern] and three friends, Homer Hickam, Jr. sets out on an inspiring quest to build his own rocket. It is only when he finally speaks to Mrs. Bykovski that he begins to move beyond it. This brings out Jake, but also a few other people including a small town newspaper reporter. October Sky is based on the lives of four young men who grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia. Mr. Ferro who is in charge of the main machine shop. Planning for the trip to the National Science Fair, Sonny is taken to get a suit. He never forgot that day. She flew to an altitude . October Sky: Miss Riley By the one, the only, Makayla Newman Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic Flat or Round, Static or Dynamic Flat: The character doesn't change much from the start of the book to the end. It mixes well with the life of the young boy and the events, both world-changing and far more personal, that are affecting his world. How do the media react to Sputnik? This seems to be enough to convince the principal to lobby for their class and he gets it for them. The film is set in Coalwood, West Virginia in the year 1957. The floor collapses and they get caught by Tag, the local sheriff. This means, among other things, that Sonnys brother is not going to be able to get a football scholarship and will have to find another way to go to college. How does Kennedy respond and what is Sonny's reply? This boy, Homer Hickam, was very interested in physics and chemistry that dealt with rockets. He had his bottom half cut off from a run away coal car. She's withdrawn and stares at her painting most of the time. The Miss Riley reaches an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100m) higher than the summit of Mount Everest. She had just provided me with a book about rockets that required a thorough knowledge of calculus and differential equations to understand. Though the local paper runs a story about the boys, they are accused of starting a wildfire with a stray rocket and are arrested. What does Quentin prove? Who is the new member of the BCMA? However, "the big six" stepped in, and they got the reverend to talk about the importance of knowledge. Miss Riley is one of the BCMA's earliest supporters. They have to wait until the strike is over so that the union doesn't think they ran him off. What is the setting of the book (place and time period)? What does Sonny do with the medal he receives in Indianapolis? October Sky Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr., October Sky emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999--a small miracle of good ol' fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Why is Big Creek High School's football team in danger of losing out on the chance to become state champions? What do you think this symbolizes to her? In this way, the young man meets his teacher. How do you think his work affects his family?, Homer Sr. was 22 when he started. Homer stays home for a while but then goes back to work too early. Both Buck and Jim don't think they'll be able to do to college without football scholarships, and that they won't get any if they don't play their senior year. Literature Study Guides and Chapter Summaries, https://books.google.com/books/about/October_Sky.html?id=vIUYaiNRg8UC. Originally titled The Rocket Boys, the book was renamed in 1999if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'brighthubeducation_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_10',137,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-brighthubeducation_com-medrectangle-3-0'); An introduction to the town of Coalwood, this chapter begins by explaining that the town of Coalwood was at war with itself. The drawer of ever pleasing his dad is closed, but something that Homer said about Mr. Bykovski sill bothers him. By the end of this chapter, it has begun to focus on the Hickam family as well as beginning to show some of the cracks. At long last, they say, someone has written about a real school teacher, one who not only fought for her students, but insisted that they learn. Who helps him understand his revelation? This brings it back to the importance of Sonny Hickams own attempts to build a rocket. Create an account to start this course today. Credit: MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images, Credit: MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection; Todd Williamson/Getty Images, Credit: MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection; Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images, Credit: MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection; Youtube.com/createlittlerock. He doesn't know and is shaken by the conversation. Here you see the battle between the father and son played out in front of the whole town. How do Sonny's mother and father react to his first rocket launch? Why do Sonny and Quentin want to take calculus and learn differential equations? October Sky 71 Metascore 1999 1 hr 48 mins Drama PG Watchlist It's 1957, and the space race has captured the imagination of young Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal), a coal miner's son who dreams of. The chapter ends with Jake giving the boys a gift of a telescope that he used as a boy, allowing them to see Jupiter and the stars. That interest is obvious when she first meets Jake Mosby, one of the engineers for the coal mine and a friend of Sonny's. In the book "October Sky", by Homer Hickam, Sonny and his father Homer Sr. have a problematic relationship. . John relents when Elsie, fed up with his lack of support for their son, threatens to leave him. She was run out of her home town for running moonshine and sleeping around but Homer lets her stay in a shack on the mountains. The Miss Riley reaches an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m) - higher than the summit of Mount Everest. Learn more about this influential woman in this lesson. The difficulty in this is that the school does not offer the class. This group of boys called The Rocket Boys would build rockets . They DO NOT get along. Gyllenhaal has continued his successful film career since, adding Love & Other Drugs(2010),Nightcrawler (2014),Southpaw(2015), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019),and Ambulance (2022) to his rsum. What did Miss Riley died from in October Sky? October Sky soundtrack from 1999, composed by Various Artists, Mark Isham. What do you think this symbolizes? Miss Riley was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and worried, Sonny asked her why she had been so tired during class, she then told him. He refuses to talk to anyone and feels nothing. The story continues with the Rocket Boys finishing their cape and putting up notices of their launches. "[9] Metacritic gave the film a score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". What does Elsie add to her mural during Homer's intense demands from the coal mine? This doesnt stop him though. All Rights Reserved. The money that she made in the stock market. Dern notably reprised her role as Dr. Ellie Sattler in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion. They also become convinced that in order to really understand what is in the book, they will need to learn calculus a class that is not offered by their school. Homer is mad that Sonny doesn't want to be a mining engineer. It is rocket candy because when the rocket is launched the smoke smells sweet or like candy. It's caused by Daisy Mae's death and all of the stress of the rockets. Miss Freida Riley is that teacher for Sonny in Homer Hickam's 'October Sky.' In addition to this, Sonny is trying to learn calculus and other math in order to be able to launch his rockets better. It shows her need to escape Coalwood. How high does it go? This movie has deep values. Always threatening to move to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Elsie dreads the mine alarms and furtively helps Homer achieve his rocket dreams. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" This chapter continues the battle between mother and father over Sonny, except that for the first time Sonnys father appears to care about the battle. What is Sonny's "startling revelation" about geometry? The critic's consensus states: "Rich in sweet sincerity, intelligence, and good old-fashioned inspirational drama, October Sky is a coming-of-age story with a heart to match its Hollywood craftsmanship. Bykovski, who is a welder on the night shift. Sonny cuts his wrist and almost dies of blood loss. Overcoming a poor education, a tough father John Hickam [Chris Cooper] and a series of misfires, Homer H. Hickam, Jr. turns his dreams into reality in this incredible true story of hope . What is the outcome? Title October Sky Year 1999 Director Joe Johnston Genre Drama, Biography, Family Interpreted by Jake Gyllenhaal Chris Cooper Laura Dern Plot - In 1957 in Coalwood, West Virginia, everything revolves around the mines and to work in the mines is the destiny that awaits the local boys. The good news continues as one of the rockets lands in field of ginseng, which will help pay for the things they need. It brings his parents back on friendly terms. She is convinced that it has killed her husband who has a black spot on his lung and will not allow it to kill her son. The miner's union goes on strike against the coal company, angering John. "[7][8] The crews also recreated a mine for the underground scenes. Who are the "Great Six"? Why? Miss Riley is an attractive woman who catches the eye of Jake, but a little while after they begin dating she is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. What is the result? The town, the store, the mine, the school even the church. But in that short time she reached far enough to inspire some of America's best scientists, including Homer Hickam and the Rocket Boys - whom the touching film 'October Sky' was based on. Random House Digital, 1999. He then joins the marching band and plays snare. Quentin thinks that the other boys will listen to Sonny, so they'll have help building the rockets. This guide may also work well as a sub plan for your substitute teacher.PART 1 - Comprehension questions. During the local science fair, he fears that the local politics will make it difficult, as well as the judges fear of encouraging rocketry because it is considered dangerous. 2,000-3,000 feet. What effect does the suspension of the football team have on Buck Trant? How does he feel about this? Everyone in the town has their lights on and his mother only tells him that no matter what happens, he cannot go to the mine that night. Quote her statement relating to the gift and to his reaction to the gift? However, Homer is not a football player. October Sky is a 1999 American biographical drama film directed by Joe Johnston and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, . Quintin, Sherman, Billy, and Sonny became engineers. All Rights Reserved. How does Elsie plan to pay for a house in Myrtle Beach? As he is leaving he sees the boy, who has often tormented him in the past. How does Jim respond? Why don't the BCMA boys think they have a chance to win the county science fair? Who makes up Sonny's core group of friends? While other people may return from summer vacation with a tan, Miss Riley comes back looking a bit pale. He disband because a boy named Tony fell out of a tree and broke his arm. AboutPressCopyrightContact. . With a lot of far more wealthy places represented, there are huge expensive science fair projects, and in general, the judges dont like rockets because they are too dangerous. Having made his first attempt to launch a rocket, Sonny Hickam destroyed his mothers fence and scared most of the town with the explosion. Stow, OH 44224. Get this album or track at: 2:19: 19. Big Creek would not be allowed to participate in the football championship this year. Far more people have now begun to show up to the Rocket Boys launches as they become a more important point to the city of Coalwood. Let's learn more about this amazing teacher. After the launches of Auks IX-XIII. While their first launches fail, they experiment with new fuels and designs and eventually succeed. AUK XXXI was their last rocket. Flashcards. Jim could care less, and Homer thinks it's dangerous. But in that short time she reached far enough to inspire some of America's best scientists, including Homer Hickam and the Rocket Boys - whom the touching film 'October Sky' was based on. Sonny ended up as a rocket engineer for NASA. And it's not because I'm so different from you either, it's because I'm the same. He is on his own, literally, since there can be only one name on the science fair signup. Identify three changes in Sonny's life and Bid Creek High School at the beginning of the 1959-1960 school year. John Dubonnet is the mine union leader and he butts heads with Homer because Homer is a "company man" who represents the company is Coalwood. The last chapter of October Sky has Sonny back in town and the strike largely finished. Sonny asks Dorothy to the dance so Roy Lee wouldn't. Dern already had more than a decade in the industry to her name when she landed the role of Miss Riley. She is Sonny's favorite teacher and she gives him some leftover solution for rocket fuel. October Sky "Sometimes One Dream is bright enough to light up the sky" October Sky is based on the book "Rocket Boys" and tells the true story of Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) in 1957 Coalwood, West Virginia where there was almost no opportunity. The heart of this chapter though is in the decision to join the science fair. When the boys do finally successfully launch their rocket, one of them hits his fathers office. He yells at friends and tries to be what he thinks people from Coalwood are supposed to be. For what does the acronym BCMA stand? What effect do you think they have on Sonny? His chemistry teacher has gotten him a book which can show them more about how to build a rocket. Splitting The Sky. Speedo. It then describes nearly every building and major person in Coalwood, showing it as a far better than average mining town, and also in many ways, a typical small town centered around a single industry. Erica has taught college English writing and literature courses and has a master's degree in children's literature. In the film, Homer said he thought his father sent Mr. Bykovski from the company machine shop back into the mines as punishment for helping with some welding. Which two reasons do you think are the most valid? She was fierce in her belief that going to school was the job of her students and, therefore, sacred. The school curriculum has changed due to Sputnik with hours of homework every night. Although I was having trouble with algebra at the time, Miss Riley believed in me and so I believed in myself. His father was furious and thinks he's too dumb to build rockets. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Homer Hickam is the main character's name; in the book and in real life he was nicknamed "Sonny". Homer H. Hickam Jr. aka Sonny. Miss Riley gives Sonny a book on rocketry: "Principles of Guided Missile Design". This chapter begins with Sonnys parents deciding what to do about the gunshot. October Sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by American engineer Homer Hickam Jr. originally published in 1998 as Rocket Boys. This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 12:35. What do you think this reveals to Homer? Miss Riley died from her cancer at 32. A small switching yard allowed the filmmakers and actors to film the scenes with the boys on the railroad and gave them freedom to do as they pleased, even tear apart tracks. He also gives them a book on trigonometry so that they can discover how high their rockets are going. The sermon reminds everyone that while a son should respect his father, it is a fathers job to help his son achieve his dreams. Difficulty Average. The USSR-born star has also had a prolific TV career,picking up gigs onCriminal Minds,Heroes,Rizzoli & Isles,Castle, Homeland, and Chicago Med. This conversation doesnt end well though as Sonny once again explains that he doesnt want to be a mine engineer while his father still wants him to be. And Miss Riley wanted to make sure you document your results. Continuing his battle with his father, Sonny Hickam has been ordered not to launch any more rockets. What is the most successful rocket in this section? What does he do then? There are two annual festivals in honor of the Rocket Boys and the film. The movie has had a total lifetime gross of $34,675,800 worldwide. They're brought before the company's head rep: Mr. Van Dyke who makes a deal with them. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. October Sky streaming: where to watch movie online? Elsewhere,MacGyver,Northern Exposure,Mad About You, andFelicity. Their names were: The Rocket Boys did not steal railroad parts as in the film; however, they did attempt to grab a. It's his job, even if he hates it he needs to do it. Jessica_Tatum470. 23 terms. What height does Auk XII attain? Share by E-Mail. What money-making project does O'Dell suggest? Why does Miss Riley choose Sonny to represent the BCMA at the science fair? Usually, the teachers we appreciate the most are the ones who encouraged us, supported us, taught us something new, and made us feel valued. She tells him, "All I've done is give you a book. The broadcaster, 65, who has spent nearly 16 years . She keeps encouraging Sonny to enter the fair, even though he is reluctant at first. Who lights the fuse for the final rocket? Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. As the townspeople gather outside to see the satellite orbit across the sky, Homer Hickam is inspired to build his own rockets to escape the tedium of Coalwood. Sign in to sync Watchlist Rating 84% 7.8 (93k) Genres Drama, Kids & Family Runtime 1h 48min Age rating PG Director Joe Johnston October Sky (1999) Watch Now Rent $3.99 HD PROMOTED Watch Now Filters Best Price Free SD HD 4K Rent $3.99 HD $3.99 HD $3.99 HD $3.99 HD $3.99 HD $3.99 HD $3.99 HD Coal mine the trip to the National science fair signup this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something it... Plan for your substitute teacher.PART 1 - Comprehension questions about the gunshot of october Sky based! A master 's degree in children 's literature her statement relating to the importance of Sonny Hickams own attempts build! Her belief that going to school was the job of her students and,,. 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