Revisiting 1999: The Forgotten Films --- October Sky (Joe Johnston)

Here's what I've covered so far:

Intro: My Year at "Film School"
The (sorta)Forgettable Films
The Films That Just Don't Hold Up
When Bad Movies Happen to Good Directors

The Forgotten Gems of 1999:
The War Zone (Tim Roth)
Sunshine (István Szabó)
Beyond the Mat (Barry W. Blaustein)
Galaxy Quest (Dean Parisot)
Mumford (Lawrence Kasdan)
Bowfinger (Frank Oz)
Cookie's Fortune (Robert Altman)
Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton)
The Iron Giant (Brad Bird)

Oh how I soft spot in my heart for October Sky. It’s the kind of film where I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with its detractors who tend to call it a manipulative, run-of-the-mill drama; but, I don’t care because I love love love this movie. I get teary eyed every time I watch this movie. It’s a film about high school kids (who, gasp, look like high school kids) who break through what is “expected” of their “kind” in a small mining town. It’s a film about hope, and it has simple, yet deep, values that resonate with me. It’s a beautifully constructed film, forgotten (or perhaps unrecognized) surely because of its muted aesthetic. It’s one of my very favorite films of 1999, and honestly, if it weren’t for this particular year having so many strong films, Joe Johnston’s film probably finds its way into the top 10. But such rankings are arbitrary anyway, for now let’s celebrate October Sky, a film that is certainly my favorite among 1999’s forgotten gems.

The film, based on the book Rocket Boys, is set in a small West Virginia coal mining town just after the Russians have launched Sputnik into space, and the story is primarily about Homer Hickam (a young Jake Gyllenhaal) a high school student who dreams of breaking out of his coal mining town in hopes that he can help America get back in the race to space. It’s a lot harder than it sounds too seeing how Hickam’s father John (the always wonderful Chris Cooper) runs the mine and is a local hero, and strongly disapproves of Homer’s “ridiculous” dreams. Homer is not interested in working in the mines (and doesn’t understand why his father can’t see his side of things), but he does admire his dad for what he does: save peoples lives, rough up a drunk step-father who is beating one of Homer’s friends, and the deep respect that he gets from his employees). Despite the silent admiration of his father Homer continues to ignore his disapproval as he enlists the aid of some friends in order to help him build a rocket. What sounds like your basic made-for-TV movie about kids rising above the odds and achieving their dreams is actually a subtlety powerful family drama about a son who doesn’t want to do what most surely seems pre-destined for him.

There are plenty of montages of rockets being built and tested, and all of the other usual stuff that is in play with these kinds of films, but that’s not where Johnston’s film is interesting. Almost everyone will recognize the story arc for this kind of film, so there’s really no point in going over plot details. Yes, Homer struggles to achieve his dream, but are there really any doubts that he will achieve his dream? Are there any doubts that he’ll gain his fathers respect? These questions are answered easily enough, but the predictably is offset by the subtlety of this film. Director Johnston is not interested in clichés, but focuses a lot of the attention on quiet observations and characters simply looking at each other. Johnston sneaks in all the necessary elements of true story drama like this one (the kids meet and try to build a rocket, they fail, they try again, they fail, they’re met with disapproval from adults, they give up, they get re-inspired, they succeed, everyone is happy), but it really is the strong acting, the dichotomy between Homer’s aspirations and his dad’s acceptance of the way things are, and the specific sense of place that makes this film one of my favorites from 1999.

What I really liked about the film is that it takes the viewer to a very specific time and place. The opening credit sequence is brilliant, even though it may not seem like much; it is a powerful and beautiful way to establish the setting for the film. The camera sweeps through different areas of the small town: the mine shaft, the school, main street, the local store, barbershops, etc. with simple pans and fade-in/fade-out effects, all accompanied by Mark Isham’s beautiful musical score (which is one of the highlights of the film).

The authenticity of the film is really what makes the viewer more empathetic to Homer’s struggle to “get out” as we can see a brilliant mind trying to stave off being trapped and stunted by the traditions of the town. This is a town where the school administration disapproves of Homer’s teacher (Laura Dern) giving the children books to help them in building a rocket. The principal sees this as filling their heads with “false hopes” as they are supposed to be giving them an education, and then it’s down to the mines for most every boy in the town (unless your lucky enough to leave on a football scholarship). However, Miss Riley believes in the “unlucky” one’s who don’t excel at football and encourages them to make science their meal ticket out of the small mining town.

Johnston’s cinematographer Fred Murphy (who shot my favorite film from 2002, Auto Focus) paints the town in a smoky blue, nicely juxtaposing the mine-dominated parts of the town with the brighter scenes of the movie: the school and the testing ground where Homer and his friends shoot off their rockets. He also constructs some masterful (again though, quite subtle) shots in the mines and shots that excel at evoking that small town feel. One of my favorite shots in all of 1999 is one of Murphy’s from this film. There is a great scene where Homer, defeated and accepting his role as a miner for life, reluctantly walks into his hellish future that awaits him. Murphy and Johnston (along with Gyllenhaal’s fine acting and Isham’s poignant score) construct the scene to visually showcase the dichotomy of Homer’s dreams and his father’s reality. Homer enters the mining shaft and as he looks up in the clear sky and sees a satellite floating by in space, the elevator begins to take him on his descent, pulling him down further and further away from his dream. Instead of being in the sky, Homer is underground. It seems obvious enough, but it’s a simple shot that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself – and it wonderfully encompasses the entire struggle between Homer and his father.

This was a different kind of film for Johnston to make. He came from the George Lucas school of filmmaking (he created the final look for Yoda and other Star Wars characters), and made pulpy kids films like Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Rocketeer, Jumanji, and The Pagemaster. After October Sky he returned to those classic adventure/pulp stories that he no doubt feels more comfortable with when he helmed Jurassic Park III and Hidalgo (he just wrapped on a new Wolf Man movie and is doing the new Captain America film); however, this film showcases Johnston’s ability to make a subtle, yet powerful, family drama. It’s a film that always sneaks up on me when I re-watch it, thinking “oh yeah, that was this movie!” And no matter how hard I try to fight back the tears, it always proves to be a difficult task with this movie. Some movies just affect us a certain way, and this is definitely one of those movies for me.

October Sky was a breath of fresh air from all the ugly, mean spirited films about teens that were being released in 1999 (American Pie, She’s All That, Jawbreaker, etc.). Sure it’s not the most original dramatic film, but it’s simple and honest and has truthful moments that show a son who may not understand his father, but he certainly admires him. Yup, it’s one of my very favorite films from 1999.

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