October Sky Page #5

the captain of the football team

bein'jealous of you.

[Chuckling]

What you think about gettin'

in that science fair now?

I think we got a chance.

[Elsie]

Well, bless her heart.

Aunt Joanne hasn't seen you

in about a year and a half.

- [Jim]

You look like a sausage.

- He does not.

Happy birthday, Homer.

[Smacks Lips]

It'll stretch some

when you wear it.

You be sure and send her

a nice thank you note now.

All right.

John?

Huh?

Oh, happy birthday, Homer.

And I got this in the mail.

Must be a present

from Grandma.

What's this?

Oh, it's

an autographed picture.

Of Grandma?

Rather get socks.

Wernher von Braun.

Well, wonder how he knew

it was your birthday.

[Homer]

I don't reckon he did.

"Dear Homer, congratulations

on your rocket building.

Continue your education

and maybe one day... '

Boy, you better take an interest

in your own damn town.

Instead of wastin'your time,

worryin'about Wernher von Braun

and, uh, uh, Cape Canaveral.

John, it's his birthday.

All right, Homer. Uh...

[Phone Rings]

[Ringing Continues]

[Ringing Stops]

[John]

Yeah?

Homer, there's strike talk

startin' up again.

Your father's...

Yeah, he's got a lot

on his mind.

Yeah, well,

I don't give a damn.

"Principles

of Guided Missile Design."

[Miss Riley] I had

Miss Waters order it for you

a while back, and it just came.

I know the math

is too advanced for you.

It is for me too.

There's calculus,

differential equations...

No, I'll learn the math.

This is great, Miss Riley.

I'll learn everything.

It's the best present

that anyone's ever given me.

Thank you.

I'm gonna show the guys.

Well, Quentin

will probably go cra...

Goodness gracious, Hickam.

Watch where you're goin'.

Just...

- Where'd you get this?

- I gave it to him.

Bye, Miss Riley.

Miss Riley, our job is to give

these kids an education,

not false hopes.

False hopes?

Do you want me to sit quiet,

let 'em breathe in coal dust

the rest of their life?

[Sighs]

Miss Riley, once in a while,

a lucky one will get out

on a football scholarship.

The rest of'em

work in the mines.

How about I believe

in the unlucky ones, hmm?

I have to, Mr. Turner,

or I'd go out of my mind.

[Elsie Muttering]

[John Laughing]

[Man]

It's good, it's good.

[John] Hey, Homer.

Happy birthday, son.

Got some good news

for you, Homer.

Say hello to Fred Smith from

the University of West Virginia.

Hello, Homer.

Hi, sir.

Mr. Smith wants Jim to play

football there. He's offerin'

him a full scholarship.

Well, congratulations, Jim.

Do you play ball, son?

No, Homer shoots off rockets.

Whoosh and all that st...

Well, rockets

are not exactly my field, son,

but maybe if you work hard,

you'll go to college too.

Yeah, on a science fiction

scholarship, maybe.

[John]Jim.

[Homer's Voice]

Dear Dr. Von Braun,

thank you

for the autographed picture.

It will only further inspire me

to keep working...

toward our all-important goal

of entering that science fair

this spring.

[Clears Throat]

We're shootin' off

a rocket today.

I th-thought you'd like

to come see it.

I gotta catch up

on some work.

Ho-How come,

how come you never have work

when Jim plays football?

You never miss a game.

[Sighs]

What time

are you gonna do it?

About 4:
00.

Uh, I can't promise you...

[Rumbling, Glass Breaks]

Somebody pulled a pillar

too close.

[Alarm Blares]

[Rings]

[Alarm Continues]

Yeah?

Well, thank God for that.

Yeah, right now.

Nobody hurt.

[Man Shouts]

[Shouting Continues]

[Music] Go, Rocket Boys [music][music]

[Cheering]

Ten!

[Together]

Nine, eight, seven,

six, five,

four, three, two,

one, liftoff!

[Cheering]

[Cheering, Clapping Continue]

You got it?

Can you see?

[O'Dell]

Uh, no. Yes.

[Roy Lee] See it?

Yeah, I see it.

What's the time?

Looks like 12 seconds.

Which one of you fellas

is Homer Hickam?

Um, it's me, sir.

I'm Basil Thorpe

with the Bluefield Telegraph.

Can I ask you

a few questions?

Sure.

[Chuckles]

[Homer] "The silvery cylinder

burst forth in a fiery column

of smoke and flame,

"racing the very wind

as it soared into the sky,

"a messenger of these

Rocket Boys of Big Creek...

"these boys who use

their brains, not brawn,

who play not football,

but with Apollo's fire."

[All Chuckling]

Hi, Homer.

Hi, Dorothy.

Would you please sign

my newspaper?

Sure.

I just know you're gonna be

really famous someday.

- H-O-M-E-R.

- [Dorothy Giggling]

Which one of you fellas

is Homer Hickam?

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Which cost the taxpayers...

What in the world

is goin' on?

Miss Riley,

this does not concern you.

You have these boys

in handcuffs.

You have these boys

in handcuffs in a high school,

Mr. Turner.

You probably heard

about the forest fire last week

over by Welch.

A lot of timber went up.

Mr. Turner, you take

these handcuffs off these boys.

They found a rocket

on the side of the road.

We knew it started the fire,

ma'am. What we didn't know

is where it came from,

till this morning.

Mr. Hickam, can you account

for all your rockets?

No, sir. I can't.

[Chattering]

If you weren't a minor,

you'd be in the state penitentiary.

I know, Dad. L...

Homer, I've been

confused by you,

I've been mad as hell

at you.

But, boy, it's the first time

in your life I've been ashamed

of you.

[Roy Lee Grunting, Yelling]

- [Grunting Continues]

- You couldn't stop, man.

You couldn't!

Get in the car, Homer!

[Yelling Continues]

Homer, get in the car.

[Man Grunting]

Idiot.! I ought

to goddamn kill ya.

[Grunts]

We ain't at the mine now.

This ain't your business.

You get in the car

with Homer, son.

You listen to me,

you drunken son of a b*tch.

If that boy's father was alive,

he'd kick your ass.

So I'm gonna

have to do it for him.

If I see him with a bruise,

you get a scar.

If I see him with a limp,

you get crutches!

[John]

You hear me?

Do you hear me?

You know,

I'm reportin' you to the union!

Screw you

and your damn union.

Your father was

one of the best men

I ever had workin' for me.

I was lucky to know him.

[Engine Starts]

Come on.

Let's go have some fun

for a change.

[music]In love [music]

[music] Why does my heart [music]

[music]Skip a crazy beat [music]

[music]For I know

it will beat, beat, beat [music]

[music] Tell me why [music]

They watched us get arrested.

[Quentin]

We're practically ex-convicts.

They'll never dance with us.

Jesus, Quentin.

You don't know anything

about women.

[music] Why do fools [music]

I heard she broke up

with that dumb jock.

[music]Fall in love [music]

See you later, hopeless.

[Clapping]

[music]Many a tear has to fall [music]

[music]But it's all in the game [music]

[music]All in the wonderful game [music]

[music] That we know [music]

[music]As love [music]

Hi, Homer.

Hi, Dorothy.

- [music] You have words [music]

- Jim, look who's here.

Yeah, ain't it past

your bedtime?

[music]And your future's looking [music]

Let's go.

Hey, Jim.

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