Monday, July 13, 2009

Revisiting 1999: The Forgotten Films --- October Sky (Joe Johnston)


Here's what I've covered so far:

Intro: My Year at "Film School"
The (sorta)Forgettable Films
The Films That Just Don't Hold Up
When Bad Movies Happen to Good Directors

The Forgotten Gems of 1999:
The War Zone (Tim Roth)
Sunshine (István Szabó)
Beyond the Mat (Barry W. Blaustein)
Galaxy Quest (Dean Parisot)
Mumford (Lawrence Kasdan)
Bowfinger (Frank Oz)
Cookie's Fortune (Robert Altman)
Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton)
The Iron Giant (Brad Bird)

Oh how I soft spot in my heart for October Sky. It’s the kind of film where I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with its detractors who tend to call it a manipulative, run-of-the-mill drama; but, I don’t care because I love love love this movie. I get teary eyed every time I watch this movie. It’s a film about high school kids (who, gasp, look like high school kids) who break through what is “expected” of their “kind” in a small mining town. It’s a film about hope, and it has simple, yet deep, values that resonate with me. It’s a beautifully constructed film, forgotten (or perhaps unrecognized) surely because of its muted aesthetic. It’s one of my very favorite films of 1999, and honestly, if it weren’t for this particular year having so many strong films, Joe Johnston’s film probably finds its way into the top 10. But such rankings are arbitrary anyway, for now let’s celebrate October Sky, a film that is certainly my favorite among 1999’s forgotten gems.

The film, based on the book Rocket Boys, is set in a small West Virginia coal mining town just after the Russians have launched Sputnik into space, and the story is primarily about Homer Hickam (a young Jake Gyllenhaal) a high school student who dreams of breaking out of his coal mining town in hopes that he can help America get back in the race to space. It’s a lot harder than it sounds too seeing how Hickam’s father John (the always wonderful Chris Cooper) runs the mine and is a local hero, and strongly disapproves of Homer’s “ridiculous” dreams. Homer is not interested in working in the mines (and doesn’t understand why his father can’t see his side of things), but he does admire his dad for what he does: save peoples lives, rough up a drunk step-father who is beating one of Homer’s friends, and the deep respect that he gets from his employees). Despite the silent admiration of his father Homer continues to ignore his disapproval as he enlists the aid of some friends in order to help him build a rocket. What sounds like your basic made-for-TV movie about kids rising above the odds and achieving their dreams is actually a subtlety powerful family drama about a son who doesn’t want to do what most surely seems pre-destined for him.

There are plenty of montages of rockets being built and tested, and all of the other usual stuff that is in play with these kinds of films, but that’s not where Johnston’s film is interesting. Almost everyone will recognize the story arc for this kind of film, so there’s really no point in going over plot details. Yes, Homer struggles to achieve his dream, but are there really any doubts that he will achieve his dream? Are there any doubts that he’ll gain his fathers respect? These questions are answered easily enough, but the predictably is offset by the subtlety of this film. Director Johnston is not interested in clichés, but focuses a lot of the attention on quiet observations and characters simply looking at each other. Johnston sneaks in all the necessary elements of true story drama like this one (the kids meet and try to build a rocket, they fail, they try again, they fail, they’re met with disapproval from adults, they give up, they get re-inspired, they succeed, everyone is happy), but it really is the strong acting, the dichotomy between Homer’s aspirations and his dad’s acceptance of the way things are, and the specific sense of place that makes this film one of my favorites from 1999.

What I really liked about the film is that it takes the viewer to a very specific time and place. The opening credit sequence is brilliant, even though it may not seem like much; it is a powerful and beautiful way to establish the setting for the film. The camera sweeps through different areas of the small town: the mine shaft, the school, main street, the local store, barbershops, etc. with simple pans and fade-in/fade-out effects, all accompanied by Mark Isham’s beautiful musical score (which is one of the highlights of the film).

The authenticity of the film is really what makes the viewer more empathetic to Homer’s struggle to “get out” as we can see a brilliant mind trying to stave off being trapped and stunted by the traditions of the town. This is a town where the school administration disapproves of Homer’s teacher (Laura Dern) giving the children books to help them in building a rocket. The principal sees this as filling their heads with “false hopes” as they are supposed to be giving them an education, and then it’s down to the mines for most every boy in the town (unless your lucky enough to leave on a football scholarship). However, Miss Riley believes in the “unlucky” one’s who don’t excel at football and encourages them to make science their meal ticket out of the small mining town.

Johnston’s cinematographer Fred Murphy (who shot my favorite film from 2002, Auto Focus) paints the town in a smoky blue, nicely juxtaposing the mine-dominated parts of the town with the brighter scenes of the movie: the school and the testing ground where Homer and his friends shoot off their rockets. He also constructs some masterful (again though, quite subtle) shots in the mines and shots that excel at evoking that small town feel. One of my favorite shots in all of 1999 is one of Murphy’s from this film. There is a great scene where Homer, defeated and accepting his role as a miner for life, reluctantly walks into his hellish future that awaits him. Murphy and Johnston (along with Gyllenhaal’s fine acting and Isham’s poignant score) construct the scene to visually showcase the dichotomy of Homer’s dreams and his father’s reality. Homer enters the mining shaft and as he looks up in the clear sky and sees a satellite floating by in space, the elevator begins to take him on his descent, pulling him down further and further away from his dream. Instead of being in the sky, Homer is underground. It seems obvious enough, but it’s a simple shot that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself – and it wonderfully encompasses the entire struggle between Homer and his father.

This was a different kind of film for Johnston to make. He came from the George Lucas school of filmmaking (he created the final look for Yoda and other Star Wars characters), and made pulpy kids films like Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Rocketeer, Jumanji, and The Pagemaster. After October Sky he returned to those classic adventure/pulp stories that he no doubt feels more comfortable with when he helmed Jurassic Park III and Hidalgo (he just wrapped on a new Wolf Man movie and is doing the new Captain America film); however, this film showcases Johnston’s ability to make a subtle, yet powerful, family drama. It’s a film that always sneaks up on me when I re-watch it, thinking “oh yeah, that was this movie!” And no matter how hard I try to fight back the tears, it always proves to be a difficult task with this movie. Some movies just affect us a certain way, and this is definitely one of those movies for me.

October Sky was a breath of fresh air from all the ugly, mean spirited films about teens that were being released in 1999 (American Pie, She’s All That, Jawbreaker, etc.). Sure it’s not the most original dramatic film, but it’s simple and honest and has truthful moments that show a son who may not understand his father, but he certainly admires him. Yup, it’s one of my very favorite films from 1999.

Extra Stills:


10 comments

  1. "And no matter how hard I try to fight back the tears, it always proves to be a difficult task with this movie. Some movies just affect us a certain way, and this is definitely one of those movies for me."

    Agreed. I also am a big, big fan of this film (I even bought and read the book that it's based on soon after seeing the film in theaters). Along with FIELD OF DREAMS, OCTOBER SKY is one of those quintessential father-son relationship films that gets me teary-eyed by the end of the film and I have the sudden urge to call my dad on the phone.

    Good call on Chris Cooper. His character could have so easily slid into strict father cliches but as you point out the film shows him dealing with a drunk, abusive father and shows how he earns respect from his co-workers. He may be tough on Homer but there is a reason why, which is dealt with rather well.

    I would also point out that the lesser known actors, the other rocket boys, are also quite good. William Lee Scott as the girl-crazy Roy Lee uses this façade to hide the abuse he receives at the hands of his alcoholic step-father. Chris Owen plays the bookish Quentin but is a far cry from the stereotypical high school nerd. These guys all do wonderful work in this film.

    And good observations about Joe Johnston. I'm a big fan of THE ROCKETEER, a film that should have been hugely popular but was mishandled by Disney. I also really enjoyed HIDALGO, which is anchored by a solid performance by Viggo Mortensen, and is a very entertaining film in its own right. But OCTOBER SKY is the best thing he's ever done and rightly deserves all the praise it gets.

    Good call on this underappreciated film! I really enjoyed reading this post and it makes me want to pull out my DVD copy of it and give it a viewing.

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  2. Good call on this one. It hearkens back to older films like Breaking Away. Any space nut loves it, and it has a lot to offer.

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  3. J.D.

    Thanks for the great comments. I'm glad you're such a fan of this film, too! Great comparison to another one of my favorite movies (because I'm a huge baseball nerd) Field of Dreams.

    I like what you say here:

    I would also point out that the lesser known actors, the other rocket boys, are also quite good. William Lee Scott as the girl-crazy Roy Lee uses this façade to hide the abuse he receives at the hands of his alcoholic step-father. Chris Owen plays the bookish Quentin but is a far cry from the stereotypical high school nerd. These guys all do wonderful work in this film.

    You're absolutely right. I was hoping someone would mention this in the comments because I realized after I wrote this thing that I forgot to mention a lot of the supporting actors. Your comment perfectly points to why this film is such a breath of fresh air in regards to high school films. These kids look and act like teenagers, and they feel and react like teenagers, too.

    I love the The Rocketeer too. Timothy Dalton played a great villain! Haha.

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  4. Tommy:

    Thanks for stopping by. Great call on the comparison to Breaking Away, one of my favorite movies from the 70's. These two films share a lot in common: father/son dichotomy, people in a small town doing something people don't think they can do, both films were filmed in a way that really makes you feel the geography of the small towns they take place in, etc.

    Thanks for stopping by, Tommy.

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  5. Kevin J. Olson:

    "...were filmed in a way that really makes you feel the geography of the small towns they take place in, etc."

    I'm glad you pointed this out. That's another quality about this film that I love... the sense of place. You really get a feeling of location and how it affects the characters that inhabit it. I'm a sucker for films that really evoke the place that the characters live in and this one does it so well.

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  6. Me too J.D. In fact that's one of the sure-fire ways a film can grab my attention and get me interested from the onset. It's a skill that few filmmakers have the gift for. In recent years I think David Gordon Green might be one of the best at doing that.

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  7. "Director Johnston is not interested in clichés, but focuses a lot of the attention on quiet observations and characters simply looking at each other. Johnston sneaks in all the necessary elements of true story drama like this one (the kids meet and try to build a rocket, they fail, they try again, they fail, they’re met with disapproval from adults, they give up, they get re-inspired, they succeed, everyone is happy), but it really is the strong acting, the dichotomy between Homer’s aspirations and his dad’s acceptance of the way things are, and the specific sense of place that makes this film one of my favorites from 1999."

    "Johnston’s cinematographer Fred Murphy (who shot my favorite film from 2002, Auto Focus) paints the town in a smoky blue, nicely juxtaposing the mine-dominated parts of the town with the brighter scenes of the movie: the school and the testing ground where Homer and his friends shoot off their rockets. He also constructs some masterful (again though, quite subtle) shots in the mines and shots that excel at evoking that small town feel."

    Great insights here!

    Well Kevin, you do make a very good point about this film being a departure from those other mean-spirited films, but to be honest and I am rather ashamed to admit this, but I was embarrassed to even bring this film up for Top 10 consideration the year of its release, as I thought I would be run out of town. You see, I have had a secret love for this film since I saw it in the theatre and was quite taken by the endearing characters and small town innocence as well as the engaging interplay. Much of this of course was accentuated by Mark ishman's ravishing score, which was one of the film's rapturous components.

    You know Kevin, this film is hardly a guilty pleasure as it's so well-crafted and isn't in any way something that needs to be apologized for. I think the same way when I promote something like BLESS THE BEASTS AND CHILDREN or A SEPARATE PEACE, which are stories about youth that bring back fond memories. With you it's OCTOBER SKY, but I'm completely with you on this one in more than just spirit. You have done a great job bringing the film's narrative into indellible focus and to issue deserving praise for the talent that brought this endearing entertainment to the screen.

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  8. Thanks Sam.

    No one will run you out of town here for praising this fine film. Tommy and J.D. have added great insights into the film as well, and I especially like Tommy's comparison to Breaking Away, one of my favorite films from the 70's, another film that seems, on its surface, to be just another run-of-the-mill high school story, but it transcends all of the cliches we associate with those types of films. So too does October Sky, which like Breaking Away really gives you a solid sense of place.

    I'm glad you mentioned Mark Isham's score, too. Now that I think of it, and especially after my viewing last night, I think it's the best technical thing about the film. It's such a powerful, yet simple, score. I love it.

    Thanks again for the kind words.

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  9. Kevin: Chalk up another fan of this film. So many cast members did some of the best work of their careers in this film: Jake Gyllenhaal, for sure; but also Laura Dern (among a lot of great work) - and especially Chris Cooper, who gives his cole-mining father so many shades of depth. I loved this film. Thanks for the reminder. -- Mykal

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  10. Mykal:

    Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. I totally agree with you about Chris Cooper. Glad to see there are so many fans of this film out there.

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