The movie "October Sky" (October Sky) is about in such a small town, several high school students are not willing to work in the mining area like their parents all their lives, and work together to make rockets by hand to change their destiny. This is a story about youth, ideals and how to change fate. It is moving but not tearful. The rhythm is slow, the light and dark are interlaced, and there are occasional waves, just like real life.
The protagonist Homer is indeed a person. When he grows up, he realizes his ideal life of "going to space without going down the mine" and becomes a member of NASA. Several other teenagers also got rid of their established fate and started their own careers after completing their university education. Colwood's coal resources were eventually exhausted, and all mines were closed. At the end of the film, in the form of home videotape, it reviews the images of the teenagers making rockets, and the high-spirited appearance of each of them when they are adults, which is very emotional in comparison. If they were not determined to make rockets, what would their life be like after the mine was closed? So I prefer to use "strong" to define this story, because inspiration is for others to see, and only strong is a necessary quality that can change one's own destiny.
The turning point in Homer's fortunes came when he was 17, when the Soviet Union launched its first satellite, Sputnik. Looking up at the starry sky at night and seeing Sputnik passing over the town shining brightly, Homer had a dream of building his own rocket. Getting rid of his doomed destiny is his greatest motivation and his greatest trouble.
At first, almost everyone was not optimistic about his dream. Most of the grown men in the town work in the same mining area. The women waited daily for their husbands to return from the mines, and the adolescent boys were either sweating on the school playground and scrambling for football, or driving their cars through the woods around the town; the girls smiled and stared. Always congregating on "rugby stars" who exude more hormones - these things happen all day long, and children grow up living the same mining life as their parents. Time seems to stand still here, and aside from the mine accident, there is nothing more to be reminded of about "destiny." So, the people in the town said, what's so great about the Soviet Union launching satellites? The things on earth are too busy, and there is no time to take care of the things in heaven! His little friend also said, forget it, my life is doomed, that is, to work in the mine. The only student who read books and studied the principles of rockets by himself was regarded as a "freak" by everyone. While making friends with the "freak", Homer roared: You go to be miners, my life is going to space! (Effective)
The film exposes Colwood's decline like a cocoon, in order to express the affirmation of the protagonist's insistence on seeking another life. Colwood's coal mines are nearly depleted, mining companies have no choice but to lay off workers, and accidents are frequent, disrupting the town's peaceful pace of life. It was raining heavily, and the enthusiastic workers wanted to strike, but it didn't help. Only Homer's insistence on his dream was a bright spot in the gloom. As a result, people gradually changed from puzzlement to acceptance, to support, applause, and pride. Homer became a well-known "Rocket Boy", and even reporters came to interview him. Homer participated in the state science competition and won the first prize, which is the pride of Colwood residents. All kinds of contradictions caused by the decay of the town seem to be resolved and invisible. Therefore, the change in people's attitudes is not due to Homer's moving ideals, but rather that people see from him a larger world beyond the coal mine and a new hope for life.
The film also expresses Homer's troubles through another line, that is, his conflict with his father. In fact, wanting to gain his father's approval is also one of Homer's motivations to realize his ideals. My father is the actual operator of the small town coal mining company. He regards mining as his lifelong career and is very proud of it. "Mining means a lot to me, and without the mines I mine, this country can't make steel," he said. So he can't understand why his son is obsessed with building rockets. What is the future and significance of this kind of behavior like a child's nonsense? Because in the eyes of my father, only the football star brother is the best, and the younger brother Homer will take over his class to work in the mine in the future. Homer believes that the mining area has no future, and his father just doesn't dare to face the reality of Colwood's decline. Because, my father watched every football game of my brother, and every time my father launched a rocket, he shied away saying that he was too busy with work and had no time to watch. He finally broke out on the eve of his upcoming science fair. He shouted at his father: "The mine is over! I won't work in the mine! I'll go out now and never come back!"
Behind the almost collapsed teenager's explosion was an arrogant and conservative father. Maybe he is really partial to the eldest son who plays football, but it is not that he does not love the younger son who is not doing his job properly. As Homer said to his father after winning the award: "I know we understand some things differently, but it's not because we're different, it's just because we're the same, just as stubborn and strong." My father was relieved and finally Acknowledging that what Homer had done made sense, and personally activated the pilot during his last rocket launch. This time, the rocket flew very high, and people in Colwood Town saw a plume of white smoke shot straight into space from a distance, and it was not seen for a long time. Homer's buddy said, maybe never come back this time.
Homer, who now works at NASA, wrote the best-selling book "Rocket Boys," from which the film "October Sky" was based. Teen Homer insists on realizing a simple dream. He is a little bit budding of love without flooding, encounters many resistances but does not compromise, and has lows but not melancholy. This is the way I like the expression of youth films.
PS: The letters of rocket boys are reorganized into October sky
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