She insists that he tell his father, but not his mother that she helped him. Who is the new member of the BCMA? As he is leaving he sees the boy, who has often tormented him in the past. Freida J. Riley is a perfect example of the impact a teacher can have for the cause of good. She is convinced that it has killed her husband who has a black spot on his lung and will not allow it to kill her son. Why does Miss Riley choose Sonny to represent the BCMA at the science fair? What happens to Ike Bykovski and Homer in the mine tragedy? This chapter begins once again by setting the time it happened not with dates but with the space race. Identify two results of the union/company conflict that directly affect the Hickam family and one that affects the BCMA. . She is angry, calls him selfish and slaps him. She also vows to shoot him if he ever goes near the mine again. OCTOBER SKY REFLECTION PAPER Th e movie was about a boy who's father was a miner. The pastor of the church does a sermon about fathers and sons. Sonny's dad is disapproving and his mon tries to get him out of trouble. This movie has deep values. They're all down and out because they got suspended from football for the year and can't play. Quentin is not a mean kid, but the local nerd. "[13] However, some reviews, such as one from Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide, claim that the movie's highlight was the acting of Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Cooper. The Coalwood series features three books, October Sky or Rocket Boys, The Coalwood Way, and Sky of. Mr Hull's Movie Guides. Richard's back yard and Fuller got mad and banned rocket launching. He never forgot that day. The rather tame drama that follows the relationship Miss Riley has with the Hickam family and the larger Coalwood community offers useful anchoring to the larger narrative of October Sky. Everyone in the town has their lights on and his mother only tells him that no matter what happens, he cannot go to the mine that night. The police soon realized that their rockets could not have traveled over 3 miles and the boys were exonerated. Copyright National Museum of Education. Despite the fact that ''Big Creek gave Miss Riley little in the way of lab equipment to demonstrate what was in our new chemistry book, she was inventive.'' She's also appeared in episodes of Quarry, Still the King, and True Detective. Josh Cassada, who launched to the ISS back in October, shared a stunning photo of the Northern Lights on Twitter. Covalent names and formulas. . Miss Riley ends up dying of Hodgkin's disease in 1969 shortly after turning 32. This brings out Jake, but also a few other people including a small town newspaper reporter. How do Sonny. How does Sonny miss meeting Dr. Wernher von Braun in Indianapolis? Wanting to learn calculus means asking to have the class. How do Elsie and Sonny react? He is furious. So he can give the other boys a chance at getting scholarships for college. This time, which is largely successful, they prove more than anything that they have reached the limit of what they are likely able to do with their current fuel. Identify two differences between Jim and Sonny. After teaching for only a few years with Hodgkin's disease, Miss Riley passed away. Jim is bigger and stronger than Sonny. After teaching for only a few years with Hodgkin's disease, Miss Riley passed away. Why do Buck and other football players accost Sonny and Quentin? He answers with the simple idea that they should go to the moon. Sonny thinks that means he likes him and wants him to stick around. What does the author reveal about each of the BCMA boys in the Epilogue? Miss Riley is an attractive woman who catches the eye of Jake, but a little while after they begin dating she is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Sonny has a stomach ache and a head ache. Finally, Sonny returns home to find that something has gone wrong. Sonny thinks that Quentin will be a lot of help but is nervous how the other boys will react to him. His family and classmates do not respond kindly, especially his father John, the mine superintendent, who wants Homer to join him in the mines. Why doesn't Sonny quit football on his own? He would go on to reprise his character of Chuck Sherman in American Pie 2(2001) andAmerican Reunion(2012). 23 terms. Catch up with the stars of the celebrated 1999 film. Dermot Murnaghan has signed off at Sky News for the last time by referencing the Will Ferrell comedy film Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy.. We hope you found this October Sky summary useful for your comprehension of the book. What does she tell him then? Having taken sleds to get to the school which was closed for anyone outside of walking distance, Sonny is left alone to return to his town. O'Dell: Treasurer and supplies. She finds Sonny lost in a snow storm, lets him stay in her house and gives him French toast. What does the X-ray reveal about Homer? Sonny find the place interesting enough but isn't drawn to it. Elsie makes him clean up around the house, and cook kidneys for the cats. Why does Sonny ask Dorothy to the dance? Owen also returned to the big screen in National Lampoon productions, and starred inThe Mist(2007),Love, Gloria (2011),in episodes ofThe Mentalist, Criminal Minds, and Hand of God, as well as TV movies including 2018's The Last Sharknado: It's About Time. It also once again shows the character of his father who lead the rescue crew into the dangerous passages even though he didnt need to. He's also been busy with TV work, picking up gigs on Six Feet Under,Alias,Ghost Whisperer,The Office,Mad Men, Murder in the First, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and Homecoming. Sherman: Publicity. How does Homer intervene in the football team's concerns? (11) $4.50. For this they go to the dugout, a small dancing hall where all the kids go. He tries out for football, like his athletic brother Jim, because he sees football as a chance to escape Coalwood via athletic scholarship. The school's curriculum would be twice as hard to keep up with the Russians. Laura Dern had an emotional turn in October Sky as Miss Riley. It gave the film a much more interesting and varied look. Two years later, he would play the title character in 2001'sDonnie Darko, going on to star inBubble Boy (2001), The Good Girl (2002), Moonlight Mile (2002), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004). Jake helps the BCMA with their calculations and science. Why does Miss Riley ask Sonny about Jake Mosby? Lanier preach on the subject. This weight is something that Sonny wasnt expecting in many ways, something he doesnt want to carry. He finds out that Dr. Van Braun may have worked for the nazis but it's never clarified. Who lights the fuse for the final rocket? Learn more about Rocket Boys and Homer Hickman. October Sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by American engineer Homer Hickam Jr. originally published in 1998 as Rocket Boys. How is the conflict resolved? October Sky: Directed by Joe Johnston. After October Sky, Ellis was in such films asPlanet of the Apes(2001),Catch Me If You Can(2002),Transformers (2007), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), McFarland, USA (2015), What Still Remains (2018), and Silo (2019). Ike Bykovski is crushed and dies. Why do you think Sonny lies to her? The film is set in Coalwood, West Virginia in the year 1957. Speedo. What is the outcome? Him and his friends had made a group with the objective of launching rockets as far and high as they could so they can join the science fair in Indianapolis. How does he feel about her? Who makes up Sonny's core group of friends? It's caused by Daisy Mae's death and all of the stress of the rockets. Natalie Canerday played Elsie Hickam, offering maternal wisdom to Homer as he butts heads with his father. Burial. Miss Riley brings in a map to show that the boy's rockets couldn't go that far. Sonny thinks plane geometry was message from God. What effect does the suspension of the football team have on Buck Trant? At the same time, Sonnys father invites him to come to the mine with him. Sonny and Elsie are both worried. They were designed for 15-20k. Literature Study Guides and Chapter Summaries, https://books.google.com/books/about/October_Sky.html?id=vIUYaiNRg8UC. (Epilogue). I am most happy that she lived long enough to see Neil Armstrong step on the moon. How does Sonny respond? Released by Sony Classical in 1999 (SK 61696) containing music from October Sky (1999). It is given in honor of Freida J. Riley, the teacher who inspired theRocket Boysand is depicted in the filmOctober Sky. Synopsis. Who does the calculations for the first rocket based on the sum total of Miss Riley's book? Registered by: Andrew R. on December 1, 2005. He is quite upset about the girl, but Sonny knows it is more than that. To create the rockets, they need help with a few pieces of pipe. Her impact upon her students is captured in the 1999 award-winning film October Sky, in which she is portrayed by Laura Dern. How does Jake help the BCMA? How do Sonny's parents react? October Sky soundtrack from 1999, composed by Various Artists, Mark Isham. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'brighthubeducation_com-leader-4','ezslot_12',143,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-brighthubeducation_com-leader-4-0');Beginning with the radio broadcast telling the American people of the launch of Sputnik, this chapter tells of life in the town of Coalwood in the few days after Sputnik. Learn more about this influential woman in this lesson. No matter what, she is always there for Sonny, whether it's being at important events in his life, such as the BCMA's final rocket launch, or helping him prepare for the national science fair. While the boys were accused of starting a fire, they were never detained. He ran off to meet him in another section but he wasn't there. To do a poor job was simply not acceptable. In the book "October Sky", by Homer Hickam, Sonny and his father Homer Sr. have a problematic relationship. He made TV appearances onWeeds,Castle, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., NCIS, Sneaky Pete, and PEN15, among others. Everyone in town and a lot of other towns come to see the rockets. Filming began on February 23, 1998, almost a year before the movie's release. But it also comes to the end of his high school career. The strike stops the the rockets from being made. No portion of this sitemay be used in any form without express written consent of The National Museum of Education, Inc. All violators will be prosecuted. Briefly explain the conflict between John Dubonnet and Homer Hickman. The weather of east Tennessee gave the filmmakers trouble and delayed production of the film. He gives it to Miss Riley. How does Jim respond? What does she vow to do if he ever goes again? And it's not because I'm so different from you either, it's because I'm the same. We've all had those teachers that make a huge impact on our lives. . With OCTOBER SKY, Johnston's talent has matured to include realistic human drama in a family setting. Wherever I go, I am thanked by people of all walks of life, but especially by teachers, for telling her story. Baskin came into the role after making appearances in Moscow on the Hudson(1984),The Name of the Rose(1986),Love Affair(1994),Air Force One(1997),Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), and hitting the small screen on St. Why have Jim and Sonny entered into a truce? He followed with roles in Jarhead (2005), Rendition (2007), and Brothers(2009). What did Miss Riley died from in October Sky? Feel free to add them by typing in their name at the bottom of the list. Who agrees to help Sonny with the welding on the rockets? Some of the movie's representations of the characters are combinations of the real-life boys. In an interview in 2014, Natalie Canerday recalled that Gyllenhaal was tutored on set because he was still in school and taking advanced classes. From whom does Sonny get equipment for Cape Coalwood? B flew around and attacked a hornet's nest. But in that short time she reached far enough to inspire some of America's best scientists, including Homer Hickam and the Rocket Boys - whom the touching film 'October Sky' was based on. Lanier's sermon about fathers and sons? What two problems do the boys need to address? Yet his mother isnt simply willing to allow things to remain the same and announces shes buying a house in Myrtle Beach with money she has saved and invested in the stock market. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" October Sky: Miss Riley By the one, the only, Makayla Newman Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic Flat or Round, Static or Dynamic Flat: The character doesn't change much from the start of the book to the end. Even after this decision, Sonny is still angry. They wanted to see Sputnik. Daisy Mae is his calico cat that Sonny found in the mountains. At least, I was able to do that retroactively in Rocket Boys. With the mines set to close and resenting his father's pressures, Homer storms out of the house, vowing never to return. That's when Sputnik was launched and it started his interest in becoming a rocket scientist. In "October Sky," Ike Bykovski, a character who was a composite of real miners Hickam knew, died in a mine accident after helping Homer with his rockets. Eventually, this drives his friend Roy Lee to punch him. No portion of this sitemay be used in any form without express written consent of The National Museum of Education, Inc. All violators will be prosecuted. She has been attempting to get them to go to the science fair throughout the story. Although the film takes place in West Virginia, Tennessee was the location of choice for filming in part because of the weather and area terrain. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. One of the folks I wrote about was our chemistry and physics teacher, a young woman named Freida Joy Riley. The majority of the chapter covers a trip that the Rocket Boys take to earn money. After John picks up Homer, Roy Lee is beaten by his abusive stepfather, Vernon. The six elementary teachers at the school. What is "rocket candy"? It shows her need to escape Coalwood. October Sky is a 1999 American biographical film directed by Joe Johnston, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen, and Laura Dern. Rocket Boys (from which the film October Sky was based) is about life in a West Virginia coal town during the 1950's and centered on my high school days when some friends and I decided to become rocket-builders. And Miss Riley wanted to make sure you document your results. He helps the boys even though he technically isnt supposed to. How is the illness cured? Richard says that God is in numbers too not just words, and to make sure Sonny doesn't get too prideful going into space. "[12], James Wall of The Christian Century describes the film's concentration on the father-son relationship as "at times painful to watch. What does the company own in Coalwood? He ends up finding a book of his father's to learn from. Who insists that Sonny get a new suit for the National Science Fair? How do the BCMA boys react? They get it from John Eye, the local moonshiner. They seem to have reached the limit of their propellants abilities. The broadcaster, 65, who has spent nearly 16 years . How does he feel about this? State two reasons Sonny decides to enter the science fair. October Sky. When the boys do finally successfully launch their rocket, one of them hits his fathers office. The biggest part of this chapter though is a bit of news that doesnt seem, for now, to affect the Rocket Boys directly. Which one is closed? This implies the company owns the worker's lives and runs everything. Mr. Van Dyke was fired for trying to negotiate and the union threatens to strike. An assistant engineer, Jake Mosby, whose father is wealthy and owns a considerable amount of the company that owns the mine. What do the BCMA boys decide to add since and sulfur to create rocket fuel? What is the result of the fair? Homer returns to Coalwood as a hero and visits Miss Riley, who is dying of Hodgkin's lymphoma. They get Sonny interested in reading classic literature. October Sky. Briefly describe the company store and explain why you think this is an asset or a liability to the miners. If you were to think of all the teachers you've ever had, which one was your favorite? A house on the beachside. The company owns everything. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% out of 74 critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.6/10. Yet the teacher agrees if the principle will agree. Miss Riley has a life outside of the classroom, too. This is reinforced at Christmas when his mother gives him an autographed photo and note from Werner von Braun. John Hickam (Chris Cooper), the mine superintendent, loves his job and hopes that his boys, Jim (Scott Miles) and Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal), will one day join him in his mine. Quintin, Sherman, Billy, and Sonny became engineers. The Rocket Boys often visit the festival in West Virginia, which is also called the "Rocket Boys Festival", while the festival in Tennessee focuses more on the filming locations. . Homer says he's going to see a lawyer about the football team being barred from the championship. Who are the initial members and what role does each one fulfill? It's thanks to her experiments that the BCMA gets ideas for how to develop their own rocket fuels. Homer thinks Sonny should stay in Coalwood. says the actress. Unfortunately, Miss Riley's life gets quite a bit more difficult the fall of Sonny's senior year in high school. Billy, his father was let go from work a few years ago and he doesn't have very much. What does he do then? October 5th 1957. He did, however, work in the mine the following summer, as described in Hickam's book. With the support of his teacher Miss Riley [Laura Dern] and three friends, Homer Hickam, Jr. sets out on an inspiring quest to build his own rocket. Elya Baskin joined October Sky as Ike Bykovsky. Set in 1957, the film follows young Homer (Gyllenhaal) in the mining town of Coalwood, West Virgina, where almost every man works in the mine. All Rights Reserved. The kits are 55" tall, 2.64" Diameter with a 38mm MMT and have a Aluminum Billet Machined Nozzle, just like the original ones. Why is Big Creek High School's football team in danger of losing out on the chance to become state champions? In Homer Hickam's autobiographical October Sky, Miss Freida Riley does all of these things and more for Homer, aka Sonny, and the rest of the ''rocket boys'' in the Big Creek Missile Agency (BCMA). Finally, the second chapter of October Sky ends with Sonny Hickam and his friends attempting to make and launch their own rocket in his backyard. 4501. Do you think he should feel this way? While there, he sees John F. Kennedy, who is running for president. Why do they disband? . Why do you think this event has such an impact on him? They have to wait until the strike is over so that the union doesn't think they ran him off. How do they react to Quentin's "dream" for a science trophy? Before playing Homer's buddy with a dangerous home life, Scott made a name for himself with gigs inGattaca(1997) andThe Opposite of Sex(1998), and a starring turn as Stanley "Bullethead" Kuznocki onThe Steve Harvey Show. Elsie is beyond furious that Sonny even agreed to go into the mine. Quentin though explains that the other boys have far more to lose. What do the boys build at cape Coalwood to use launching rockets? [4][5], October Sky is an anagram of Rocket Boys, the title of the 1998 memoir upon which the film is based. Poppy is Homer Sr's father. For the memoir by Homer Hickam, see, Homer Hickam official Web site - October Sky/Rocket Boys, The Keeper's Son, "Wernher von Braun: History's most controversial figure? Like many of us, Miss Riley has at least some interest in having a romantic relationship. October Sky. 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