The movie, October Sky, released in 1999 and based on Homer Hickam's memoir, Rocket Boys, is a riveting celebration of American know-how and determination.
It's set in a small West Virginia coal-mining town in 1957 when the Soviet satellite Sputnik is launched spearheading the Soviet/American space race.
Hickam, who later became a space engineer, at the time was a high school student, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, with dreams of designing rocket ships. His father, who works in the mines, vehemently disapproves and wants him instead to follow in his footsteps. But Hickam continues to pursue his dreams.
Young Hickam, along with his school buddies, and with the full support of his science teacher, enters a student science competition and begins test firing rockets, many of which either fail to launch or blow up without ever leaving the ground. In the end, they achieve a successful launch.
After I watched this movie (which was a few years ago on either a VHS cassette or a DVD), I concluded that the kids today who are in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs in high schools would not be able to enjoy the same freedom to experiment with rockets as Hickam was. And their efforts, because of national security concerns, would be stymied by government interference and/or accusations of terrorist activity.
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