I have a habit of watching movies 5 times in one year, October Sky is definitely one of them. In film school, while taking advanced screenwriting class many times my professor would talk about the importance of motivation with characters. October Sky is a prime example of motivation.
Most humans do not want to spend their adult lives in a mine, slowly inching towards black lung disease, also hearing stories of coworkers dying from accidents that are bound to happen in a mine, like it’s a given someone will die. Most of my favorite films are low budget indie or European art films, but I think this one is in my top 10. A good story where you really want to see the underdog win. Not every movie fits this criteria, but this one does -A Long Line is a Captivating Character with a Mighty or Moving Motivation going after a Grand Goal while facing Outstanding Obstacles.
One of the interesting things I learned about storytelling and the relationship of cinematography is how the story is shaped through camera work and how long the camera stays on a certain character. October Sky showed an evolved finess when it came to cinematography and the character Valintine Carmina.
It's really important to define the dynamics of Coalwood, which we don't know much about, to have the protagonist's older brother have a chance to get to go to college. It’s another way the movie illustrates to the audience how limited the options are for highschool boys. Only ones with football scholarships are able to attend college.
The scene where Homer dares to sit with Quintin in the cafeteria is equally funny and stupid, as in I can't believe how shallow and stupid I was in Highschool. It's very relatable though.
The challenges Homer faces while trying to perfect his rocket, like finding a welder makes him more likable, just that he won't give up and refuses to accept his fate as a miserable coal miner. His acceptance of the social outcast Quintin is also so important to make him more likable. Homer's attachment to Werner Van Braun is adorable. It's almost as if every time a new challenge arises for Homer, it makes him more likable and I want him to win more.
Many times arguments have so much information about the story in October Sky, like before they go to Snakeroot and they argue about how horrible coal mining is, how it's turned Roy Lee's step dad into a massive alcoholic who is violent. And how O’del's dad died in a mining accident. And when the Principal Turner was arguing with Miss Riley about how a “lucky one will get out on a football scholarship, the rest go work in the mine." Miss Riley replies,"How about I believe in the unlucky ones, or I'll go out of my mind."
Much of the entertainment comes from everything they have to do to get the rocket to fly, and so many components go into that. The montage of trial and error with unsuccessful rockets makes me want them to succeed more, it also shows how hard they worked to get it done, but with skillful editing it wasn't too redundant or amateur, which I have seen.
Roy Lee has a lot sass, and not that I ever think domestic violence is a good or acceptable thing, but it fits his character that he endures violence from his step dad.
When the rocket boys are falsely accused and have to abandon their rocket building completely, it's a low point, and I feel for them, but Homer then has the perfect motivation to continue. Miss Riley basically tells Homer her life would not be in vain if she could have seen the Rocket Boys go to college and not end up miserable in the mine. What's is also a very potent motivation is Miss Riley dying young from Hodgkin's disease.
Strike talk as a b story, helps build the tension of the story and give a slight bit more suspense, making the audience wonder how Homer will overcome this challenge.
It was very heartfelt that Homes looked at Ike Bikosky’s worker coin before he won, also
Illustrating symbolically his motivation - not to die in an accident in the mine.
Ideally I would like to read every book when I like the movie version, I listened to the audio book, of Rocket Boys, it was pretty interesting. it was a long time ago though.
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