Joe
Johnston (The Rocketeer, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumanji) directs this earnest
family film, that comes close to wading in the overly sentimental swamp that bogged
Patch Adams down. Thankfully, it manages to get its point across without sinking
to those depths.
Homer
Hickam is a small town boy with dreams of becoming a rocket engineer. Unfortunately,
all the local workers are coal miners, including his overbearing father (wonderfully
played by Chris Cooper) who wants his son to follow in his footsteps. In a typical
underdog fashion, Homer tries to buck the system and obtain his unreachable goal.
October
Sky is a film that has its heart in the right place, but is too manipulative to
be completely effective. From frame one, you know what the outcome is going to
be. Still, I suppose it might be a good experience for younger viewers, by offering
that age-old message: If you follow your dreams, anything is possible.
