This
movie is pure entertainment in an old-fashioned kind of
way. It's the true story of a boy (Homer Hickman, played by Jake Gyllenhall)
growing up in the 50s in a coal mining town in West Virginia, who
dreams of building rockets after hearing about Russia's Sputnick.
The film captures perfectly the mood of the times, along with the
conflict between father (Chris Cooper, in another strong performance)
and son over what should be the expected career of a coal miner's
son. Homer mostly ignores his father and pursues his dream, encouraged
by his science teacher (Laura Dern). One of the year's best films.
—
marty
