October Sky
Brief Synopsis
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It's 1957 in Coalwood, West Virginia and while most of the town mines the earth, young Homer Hickman dreams of only the sky. Inspired by the dawn of the space age and the historic launching of the Soviet satellite Sputnik, Homer enlists his two best buddies as well as the school's resident math geek
Cast & Crew
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Joe Johnston
Director
David Copeland
Chad Lindberg
Richard Lumpkin
Brady Coleman
Tom Turbiville
Film Details
Also Known As
Ciel d'octobre, Rocket Boys, The
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Comedy
Drama
Period
Teens
Release Date
1999
Production Company
Mark Zimbicki
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures
Location
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 48m
Synopsis
It's 1957 in Coalwood, West Virginia and while most of the town mines the earth, young Homer Hickman dreams of only the sky. Inspired by the dawn of the space age and the historic launching of the Soviet satellite Sputnik, Homer enlists his two best buddies as well as the school's resident math geek to help him design and launch space rockets. After a series of disastrous crash landings, in particular one that sends an entire coal mine full of workers running for cover, Homer's father demands that his son get serious about his future and abandon his silly science projects. However Homer's potential is limitless and when he starts winning science fairs and scholarships he's on a non-stop journey straight to the stars.
Director
Joe Johnston
Director
Cast
David Copeland
Chad Lindberg
Richard Lumpkin
Brady Coleman
Tom Turbiville
Mark W Johnson
Terry Nienhuis
William Lee Scott
David Ducey
Bradford Ryan Lund
Chris Ellis
Tom Kagy
Kaili Hollister
Elya Baskin
Don Henderson Baker
Jake Gyllenhaal
Neva Howell
Don Taylor
Rick Forrester
Charles Lawlor
Joe Digaetano
Courtney Fendley
Ida Ginn
Scott Miles
Terry Loughlin
Terrence Gibney
Elizabeth Byler
John Bennes
Jonathan Fawbush
Chris Owen
Laura Dern
Frank Schuler
Donald Thorne
Thomas Taylor
Chris Cooper
David Dwyer
Mark Jeffrey Miller
Don Tilley
Michael Calabrese
Lead Person
Randy Stripling
Larry Rue
O Winston Link
Keeli Hale Kimbro
Frank Hoyt Taylor
Natalie Canerday
Rockford Davis
Andy Stahl
Blaque Fowler
Tommy Smeltzer
Doug Swander
Larry Black
Dave Hager
Ray Elder
Jenny Patterson
Justin Whitsett
Don G Campbell
Crew
Charlie Ajar Jr.
Other
Jerry Allison
Song
Steve Ansell
Assistant Editor
Terry Arthur
Key Grip
Okan Ataman
Art Department
Lynn Barber
Makeup Artist
Dave Bartholomew
Song
Charles Thomas Baxter
Location Manager
Gerald Bean
Craft Service
Michael B Beaudin
Accounting Assistant
Carl Beck
Music
Jeff Becker
Rigging Gaffer
Joseph F Beeco
Foreman
Gloria Belz
Makeup
Chris Bennett
Stunts
Georges Boulanger
Song
Brent Bowers
Cgi Artist
Lewis Bowman
Grip
Thom Brennan
Foley Editor
Stephen Brown
Costumes
Emily S Buckberry
Dialogue Consultant
Gary Burritt
Negative Cutting
Todd Busch
Assistant Editor
Matthew Butler
Other
Craig Byrom
Foreman
Julie Callihan
Makeup Artist
Anthony Joseph Camaioni
Assistant Editor
Janet Campolito
Assistant
Tom Carlson
Music Editor
Jimmy Carmickle
Foreman
Fumie H Carrera
Wardrobe
Sean Casey
Photography
Michael Casper
Rerecording
Tom Clark
Other
Lewis Colick
Screenplay
Fred Cooper
Dolly Grip
Misty Cooper
Assistant
Dan Cornwall
Other
Theresa Corrao
Effects Coordinator
Betsy Cox
Costume Designer
Peter Cramer
Executive Producer
Stephen Crowley
Best Boy
Cliff Cudney
Stunt Coordinator
Julie D'antoni
Production Assistant
Robert Dalva
Editor
Bill Glenn Davis
Set Designer
Charles G Dawes
Song
Sandy De Crescent
Music Contractor
Joe Digaetano
Special Effects Supervisor
Pete Doell
Music
Fats Domino
Song
Fats Domino
Song Performer
Jo Doster
Location Casting
C J Drews
Production Assistant
John J Duncan
Special Thanks To
David Duren
Other
Tommy Edwards
Song Performer
Mary H. Ellis
Sound Mixer
John Fagan
Stunts
Tony Fanning
Art Director
Bill Fibben
Boom Operator
Ed Fitzgerald
Swing Gang
Stephanie Flack
Dialogue Editor
Nancy Foy
Casting Director
David Galbraith
Assistant Camera Operator
Jeff Galpin
Stunts
Howell Gibbens
Sound Editor
Robert Girard
Stunts
Aaron Glascock
Editor
Shirley Goodman
Song
Charles Gordon
Producer
Jeffry Gordon
Other
Beka Wilson Gregory
Hair Stylist
John Griffin
Production Assistant
Ruby Guidara
Other
Brian Gunter
Gaffer
John Guss
Production Assistant
Rhonda Guthrie
Other
Otto Harbach
Song
Todd Hatfield
Other
Janice Hayen
Music
Kela Hick
Cgi Artist
Homer Hickam Jr.
Source Material (From Novel)
Robert Hill
Grip
Hilda Hodges
Foley Artist
Alan Holly
Adr Mixer
Buddy Holly
Song
Alan Hook
Set Designer
Mark Isham
Music
Al Jacques
Projectionist
Diana Jaher
Casting Associate
Bill Johnson
Makeup
Diane Johnson
Craft Service
Andi Kasen
Assistant Editor
Whitney B Kemp
Props Assistant
Jimmy Kennedy
Song
Elizabeth Kenton
Adr Editor
Jerome Kern
Song
Stephen Krause
Sound Mixer
Kevin Kropp
Props Assistant
Ken Kugler
Music Conductor
Mary Jo Lang
Foley Mixer
Eric Lasagna
Other
Daniel Leahy
Rerecording
Leonard Lee
Song
Jerry Leiber
Song
Barrett J Leigh
Production Assistant
Morris Levy
Song
M Michael Lewis
Key Grip
Greg Lowe
Adr
Eric J Luling
On-Set Dresser
Alisa B Lumbperas
Other
Frankie Lymon
Song
Betsy Magruder
Assistant Director
Rusty Mahmood
Assistant Director
Matt Marshall
Assistant Director
David Brian Martin
Stunts
Jonathan Mcgarry
Assistant Director
Michael Mcgovern
Editor
Lee Mclemore
Grip
Robert A. Mcmahan
Assistant Camera Operator
Andrew Menzies
Assistant Art Director
Fred Meyers
Other
Arthur J Miller
Other
Mark S. Miller
Visual Effects
Kristen Millette
Cgi Artist
Susan Mills
Hair Stylist
James Mitchell
Visual Effects Supervisor
Charlie Monroe
Song
James Morioka
Assistant Sound Editor
Swift Moseley
Other
Michelle Motta
Cgi Artist
Fred Murphy
Director Of Photography
Esther Navarro
Song
Deana Newcomb
Photography
Dee Nichols
Grip
Sid Page
Soloist
Cindy Parker
Transportation Coordinator
J L Parker
Transportation Coordinator
John Paterson
Foreman
Peter Paterson
Stunts
Richard E Perry
Special Effects
Kim Petrosky
Extras Agent/Coordinator
Norman Petty
Song
Gary Pilkinton
Special Effects
John Ployhar
Production Assistant
Anne Pope
Special Thanks To
Elvis Presley
Song Performer
Molly Proctor
Other
W T Purdy
Music
Jim Pybrun
Other
Christopher J Pyles
Swing Gang
John Rabasca
Swing Gang
Buck Ram
Song
Ande Rand
Song
Joe E. Rand
Music Editor
Stephen K Randolph
Set Costumer
Van Redin
Photography
Spencer H Register
Swing Gang
Van Nostrand Reinhold
Other
Mike Revell
Production Accountant
Owen J Rice
Extras Casting Assistant
David Rigby
Special Effects
Barry Robison
Production Designer
Chris Rodriguez
Grip
John Roesch
Foley Artist
Chad Rose
Stunts
Paul Schmitz
Production Assistant
Philip G Schneider
Property Master
Fred W Schwendel
Swing Gang
Manny Serrano
Swing Gang
Marciann Shapiro
Costume Supervisor
Carl Sigman
Song
Michael Smith
Stunts
Chris Spellman
Set Decorator
Mike Stanwick
Color Timer
Marc Sternberg
Executive Producer
Mike Stoller
Song
Brian Stultz
Other
Robb Sullivan
Assistant Editor
Don Sundquist
Special Thanks To
Jeff Talman
Assistant Location Manager
Carolyn Tapp
Foley Recordist
Tom Taylor
Advisor
The Platters
Song Performer
Margaret A Thigpen
Swing Gang
Cheryl A Tkach
Assistant
Michael Tomlinson
Location Scout
Kathleen Tonkin
Special Effects
Russell Towery
Stunts
Michealle Vanderpool-kohrs
Hair Stylist
Paul Varrieur
Camera Operator
Robert Vazquez
Special Effects Foreman
Robert Vazquez
Stunts
Brenda Wachel
Script Supervisor
Jonathan Wank
Art Department
David Weathers
Swing Gang
Zane Weiner
Unit Production Manager
Katie Willard Troebs
Production Coordinator
Jerome Williams
Other
Film Details
Also Known As
Ciel d'octobre, Rocket Boys, The
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Comedy
Drama
Period
Teens
Release Date
1999
Production Company
Mark Zimbicki
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures
Location
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 48m
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the 1999 award for Best Family Film from the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
Released in United States Winter February 19, 1999
Released in United States on Video July 27, 1999
Based on the true life story of NASA space engineer Homer Hickman, Jr.
Completed shooting May 10, 1998.
Began shooting February 23, 1998.
Released in United States Winter February 19, 1999
Released in United States on Video July 27, 1999
Nominated for the 1999 award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published (Lewis Colick) from the Writers Guild of America.
