Restraining the sentimental from taking that fatal last step into the maudlin is one of the toughest tricks in the movie business. The small-town triumph movie “October Sky” succeeds by carefully holding to its own boundaries of gritty nostalgia.
Jake Gyllenhaal makes his lead debut in this 1999 drama, based on the West Virginia memoir of NASA engineer Homer Hickam Jr. High school boys in a 1950s coal mining town are mesmerized by the Russian launch of the Sputnik satellite and decide to teach themselves the principles of rocketry.
Young Homer’s dreams are checked by his seething, overworked father (Chris Cooper), who spends his days in backbreaking labor underground or fighting management battles over safety and wages. Laura Dern counters with encouragement, as a teacher betting her boys can learn a future more promising than mining.
Director Joe Johnston’s assured sense of pacing lets us see the town of Coalwood as both a nest for Homer and a trap. As in equally praiseworthy movies such as “Breaking Away,” Homer must fight his family and his community before he can begin to understand how much he needs them.
If you can hold back your emotions during the father-son ending of “October Sky,” you might need to get your pulse checked. The conclusion seems just right and should give the movie enough depth for everyone to enjoy.
Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for families in search of rewarding entertainment. Reach him at mbooth@denverpost.com; find the “Screen Team” blog at denverpostbloghouse.com.
“October Sky”
Rated: PG for mild language, adult situations
Most appealing: Children 8 or older
