Film

October Sky

Name: October Sky
Genre: Drama, History, Family
Released: 1999
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen, Laura Dern, William Lee Scott

A gentle, real-life underdog story set in 1957 coal-mining Appalachia, where a teenager watches Sputnik cross the sky and decides he'd rather build rockets than go down the mine like his father. It's earnest, warm, PG-rated science-and-hope filmmaking — the kind of film that makes you want to go build something with your hands. Good for families, science nerds, and anyone who likes a father-son thaw.

TMDb rating

7.7

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