In 1999, universal studios released its critically acclaimed film october sky, based on rocket boys. Sonnys good friend, father died in mine, family stayed because brother worked in the mine. Rocket boys project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. He can also be seen as hank in the tv movie before women had wings and as randy in the independent picture the opposite of sex.
A memoir, the coalwood way, sky of stone, and we are not afraid. His breakthrough performances were as homer hickam in october sky 1999 and as a psychologically troubled teenager in. He is the son of wiley clay cooke and carrie austin cooke of. Hickam was born february 19, 1943, in coalwood, where his father was the mine superintendent. Thanks to everyone who attended the 2008 october sky festival, october 4, 2008, in coalwood.
After that, sonny enlists the help of quentin wilson, roy lee cooke, sherman siers, jimmy odell carroll, and billy rose to help build rockets while forming. We loaded onto the bus and he regaled us with his stories all the way from beckley to coalwood, through the beautiful mountain scenery on a glorious fall day. Roy lee is a ladies man, and homer often has to talk roy lee into working on the rockets, instead of going on a date that night. October sky is a movie about how a hillbilly accomplished his dream of building rockets and got out from the falling mining hometown named coalwood. This year he, roy lee cooke, jimmy odell and billy rose will field questions at a screening of october sky. Its a coming of age story about teens and their struggles and victories in a very bleak setting. While their first launches are failures, they begin experimenting with new fuels and rocket designs. The weather was glorious, and everyone had a great time. October sky novel from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia october sky originally published as rocket boys is the first memoir in a series of three, by homer hickam, jr. Roy lee is a very important character in this book as one of the main characters in october sky and also the founding member of the big creek missile agency bcma. Later, homer is inspired to look at a rocket science book miss riley gave him, and. October sky by homer hickam this book is wonderful and based october sky is a memoir, the true story of homer hickam jr. The 20th annual rocket boysoctober sky festival, set for sept.
It is based on the true story of homer hickam, a coal miners son who was inspired by the launch of sputnik 1 to take up rocketry against his fathers wishes, and who eventually became a nasa engineer. Homer hickamhow rocket boys became october sky greater talent network. She gives sonny a book called principles of guided missile design that is extremely useful to the rocket boys in the future. Roy lee is a ladies man, and homer often has to talk roy lee into.
Well, he went to college and graduated from the university of maryland. The boys are first inspired by the sputnik 1, the first. The true story, originally published as rocket boys, that inspired the universal pictures film. Weatherford award in 1998, the year of its release. Why was the movie called october sky instead of the book s title, rocket boys.
It was 1957, the year sputnik raced across the appalachian sky, and the small town of coalwood, west virginia, was slowly dying. Today, it is one of the most often picked communitylibrary reads in the united states. Although i was a teenager more than a decade later than hickam was, some of the things he wrote about hit close to home. May 08, 2018 rocket boys october sky chapter 11 with special guest. Roy lee cooke, and odell carroll became amateur rocket builders. I, too, grew up in a rural area on a dirt road in the woods of nh. October sky characters study guide flashcards quizlet. October sky is a 1999 american biographical film directed by joe johnston, starring jake gyllenhaal, chris cooper and laura dern.
In the same year, he became a part of the drama movie black and white. The title of the paperback released at the same time was changed to the movie title, which is an anagram of rocket boys take the letters of rocket boys and move them around to spell october sky. After that, sonny enlists the help of quentin wilson, roy lee cooke, sherman. Rocket boy cooke says october sky story is one of hope. October sky is a 1999 film based on the memoir rocket boys by homer hickam, jr.
The story told in joe johnnys film october sky 1999 is a beautiful one and a true one. Hickam is presently reading from his book carrying albert home, which is the fifth book in his coalwood series, which also includes the works rocket boys. October sky originally published as rocket boys is the first memoir in a series of three, by homer hickam, jr. Roy lee also knows the moonshiner in town, john eye, who provides the boys with the alcohol needed for their special propellant they call zincoshine. Screenplay by lewis colick based on the book by homer hickam, jr. Rocket boys october sky chapter 11 with special guest. He is the son of wiley clay cooke and carrie austin cooke of coalwood, in mcdowell county, west virginia.
October sky is a 1999 american biographical drama film directed by joe johnston, starring jake gyllenhaal, chris cooper, chris owen, and laura dern. He had a weakened left leg from the result of polio, which never seemed to bother him, but he tragically died from a heart attack at the age of. This story teaches across the curriculum in science and english language arts. Roy lee cooke, jimmy odell carroll and billy rose attend the fest every year and love chatting with fans of the book and the movie. Roy lee cooke born december 25, 1941 is an american who was a founding member of the big creek missile agency and one of the original rocket boys. 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. After a year he appeared as roy lee cooke in the biographical movie october sky. As in previous years, the book s author and members of the rocket boys, including roy lee cooke, billy rose and odell carroll, will gather for the annual october sky festival in their hometown. Chapter 16 of october sky begins with sonnys father visiting a conference to discuss the ventilation of his mine an honor for him because he is not an engineer. The reason he has a car was from a company settlement that went on before the book. October sky is an anagram of rocket boys, the title of the 1998 book upon which the movie is based. I was really enthusiastic to watch this movie, because i love to watch movies based on true stories. Homer, billy rose, quentin wilson, jimmy odell carroll, roy lee cooke and sherman siers.
Roy lee cooke, one of the rocket boys, come to fairmont catholic today. She inspires the rocket boys to compete in the national science fair. Roy lee cooke, jimmy carroll, quentin wilson, sherman siers, billy rose, and i had grown up together. October sky the title on the mass market movie tiein version of the bestselling the rocket boys is the first memoir in a series of four, by homer hickam jr. The book deals with hiram and the other rocket boys in coalwood, w.
It was the year sputnik raced across the appalachian s best books to read. An outstanding educator will focus on enlightening. Chapterbychapter october sky summary rocket boys by. As a member of the rocket boys, he has been good friends for a long time ago in coalwood with sonny, odell and sherman. October sky star to appear at coalwoods festival this. Roy lee cooke roy lee is homers best friend from childhood through high school. Rocket boys october sky chapter one less terrible this time. His next brilliant performance was seen in 2000 movie gone in 60 seconds. With the help of his friends, roy lee cooke william lee scott and sherman odell chad lindberg, and support from their science teacher, miss riley laura dern, the four try out their new passion.
Homer hickam, the main character of the movie, would never succeed in his rocket dream without the extraordinary inspiration and encouragement from miss riley. He also had a role in the 2000 film gone in 60 seconds. Brad davisthe registerherald rocket boys homer hickam, right, and roy lee cooke wave to the crowd after saying a few words before launching time gets underway at the final rocket boys festival. The book was made into a movie called october sky, which is an anagram of rocket boys.
For the first time ever, a cast member from the film version of october sky will make an appearance at this years event. It is a story of growing up in a mining town, and a boys pursuit of amateur rocketry in a coal mining town. With an anagram, you take the letters from a word or two and rearrange them to form another word or two. Throughout october, the library will sponsor book discussions, films and activities for all ages all focused around the reading of the book. His character in the universal pictures film october sky was played by william lee scott. October sky the coalwood series homer hickam 0440235502 9780440235507 the true story, originally published asrocket boys, that inspired the universal pictures film. He has excellent eyesight and can find rockets very well. Scott miles, who portrayed homers older brother jim hickam in the movie, will be on hand to meet fans of the movie and bring a touch of. Homer hickam stated that universal studios marketing people got involved and they just had to change the title because, according to their research, women over thirty would never see a movie titled. October sky is an anagram of rocket boys, the title of the book upon which the movie is based.
A memoir was published by delacorte press in september 1998 and the movie based. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Much more detail is given in this book, beyond the highly acclaimed movie. Rocket boys october sky chapter one less terrible this. For example, there is a long, winding hill crossing a ridge that separates coalwood from the county seat of welch. One of the reasons people come to the festival is to meet homer hickam and the rocket boys. Miss freida riley was the inspirational chemistry and physics teacher who helped the rocket boys form inspiration for their rockets, and helped the boys win the science fair. A best friend is someone who is there for you no matter what, and roy lee is certainly sonnys best friend in homer hickams memoir october sky. Roy lee cooke, jimmy odell carroll and billy rose attend the fest every year and love chatting with fans of the book and. Rocket boysoctober sky festival to move to new home in. With the help of his friends, roy lee cooke william lee scott and sherman odell. It received so much acclaim and interest, he was asked to write a book detailing the whole story. In 1999, scott starred in october sky as roy lee cooke.
With the same dazzling storytelling that distinguished his first memoir, homer hickam takes us deeper into the soul of his west virginia hometown at a moment when its unique way of life is buffeted by forces of time and change. After watching the movie october sky, i found this book very interesting and informative. It is also used in a period radio broadcast describing sputnik 1 as it crossed the october sky. Rocket boys, october sky homer hickam collectspace. Upon returning, he discovers that sonny has been excluded from the class he lobbied for and is using his book. Thats the kind of best friend roy lee is to sonny in homer hickams memoir october sky. Character analysis of roy lee in the october sky antiessays. A special highlight of the observance will be an appearance by roy lee cooke, one of the original rocket boys, on oct.
Interesting that october sky the name of the movie is an anagram of rocket boys the name of the book the original name anyway. Best selling author homer hickam and the cast of rocket boys and other books in hickams popular coalwood series, including rocket boys roy lee cooke, billy rose and odell carroll, will gather again saturday, oct. William lee scott age, height, wife, married, awards. The bestselling book and popular movie brought national attention to coalwood and hickams classmates.
Willie billy rose is a member of the rocket boys who joins the group about a year after it is founded. Rose, quentin wilson, jimmy odell carroll, roy lee cooke and sherman siers. October sky by homer hickam this book is wonderful and based. The rocket boys of hollywoods october sky visit southern. October sky actor to be in coalwood, october 6, 2007. Roy lee cooke, and sherman odell are very devoted to fulfill their dream of rocketry. Miss riley is a chemistry and physics teacher at big creek high school. His first feature film role came as the younger version of loren deans character in andrew nicolas gattaca. So, what happened to him after his days at big creek high school. The annual rocket boys october sky festival traditionally held on the first weekend in october each year in coalwood is moving to beckley this fall, after reluctantly being canceled earlier this. It is also used in a period radio broadcast describing sputnik as it crossed the october sky. He teaches sonny something about girls and is the bronze of the rocket boys. Oct 01, 2010 one of the reasons people come to the festival is to meet homer hickam and the rocket boys.
Odell carroll, homer sonny hickam, roy lee cooke, billy rose, jack likens. Now, i was looking at a picture of roy lee when he was in high school the real roy lee, and he was really cute anyways, what about the actor who played cooke in october sky. If there is one thread that ties this festival together, and connects it to the rocket boys story and the state of west virginia, it is that it shows the next generation pathways to success, in the words of hill. Roy lee cooke, will be on hand saturday and sunday as october sky is screened at the orpheum theatre during the grand finale weekend. Homer hickam, quentin wilson, roy lee cooke, and jimmy o dell carroll use homer hickams rocket boys as a catalyst for excitement relating rocketry and the science behind it, literature and history. Rocket boys roy lee cooke, billy rose, odell carroll and hickam will also gather for the october sky festival in their hometown of coalwood wv, where theyll join the coal tv show cast members in mingling with attendees, posing for photos and signing autographs throughout the day. October sky is the first memoir in a series of four, by homer hickam jr. Coalwood celebrities and rocket boys who attended the october sky festival. Rocket boys roy lee cooke, jimmy odell carroll, billy rose and hickam himself return each october to visit old and new friends and share stories of the coalwood way. Roy lee cooke is an american who was a founding member of the big creek missile agency and one of the original rocket boys. The coalwood way october sky the title on the mass market movie tiein version of the bestselling the rocket boys is the first memoir in a series of four, by homer hickam jr. Roy smith singing sam cooke at burke high school in omaha nebraska. In 1999, universal studios released the film october sky, based on hickams book.
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