October Sky is a 1999 American biographical drama film directed by Joe Johnston, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen, and Laura Dern. The screenplay by Lewis Colick , based on the book of the same name , tells the story of Homer H. Hickam Jr. , a coal miner 's son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to take up ...

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. (born February 19, 1943) is an American author, Vietnam War veteran, and a former NASA engineer who trained the first Japanese astronauts. His 1998 memoir Rocket Boys (also published as October Sky) was a New York Times Best Seller and was the basis for the 1999 film October Sky.

October Sky: Directed by Joe Johnston. With Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, Chris Owen. The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.

October Sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by American engineer Homer Hickam Jr. originally published in 1998 as Rocket Boys.Later editions were published under the title October Sky as a tie-in to the 1999 film adaptation.. It is a story of growing up in a mining town, and a boy's pursuit of amateur rocketry in a coal mining town. The book won the W.D. Weatherford Award in 1998, the ...

October Sky (1999) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.

Apr 11, 2012 · Homer Hickam, the man whose life became the basis of the film October Sky, takes us through some of his inspiring accomplishments. From escaping the mines of Coalwood, West Virginia by learning rocketry to becoming a NASA engineer, he speaks about a career which eventually added the title of best-selling author to the mix.

Sep 6, 2024 · Discover the real-life story of Homer Hickam Jr., the 'Rocket Boy' who inspired 'October Sky'. Learn how this coal miner's son from West Virginia pursued his passion for rocketry and achieved his dream of working for NASA.

The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes. In a 1950's mining town called Coalwood, Homer Hickam is a kid with only one future in sight, to work in the local coal mine like his father.

Feb 4, 2023 · October Sky tells the true story of a young man pursuing rocket science, despite his father's wishes. Catch up with the stars of the celebrated 1999 film. Early in his career, Jake Gyllenhaal led...

Feb 16, 1999 · The introspective son of Homer Hickam, the mine superintendent, and Elsie Lavender Hickam, a woman determined to get her sons out of Coalwood forever, Sonny gathered in five other boys and convinced them to help him.