Joe-Johnston Movie Reviews

This movie is definitely, withut a doubt, the best movie of 1999 in my opinion. Here's why: The acting is great, the music is well done and fits the era perfectly, and the story is uplifting and inspiring. This movie, however, is not a feel-good movie with a cliched story line and needless melodrama. This movie is about a boy who lives in the coal moning town of verginia, who on one fatefull night, watches Russia's satelitte, the Sputnik race across the October Sky. This inspires him to build rockets againt all odds, be it his father, a hardened coal miner, who refuses to let Homer build rockets on campany property, forcing them to walk 7 miles to snake root, or the fact that there wasn't very much information on rockets in coalwood. However, with the help of his freinds, this story became one of success despite great odds. I beleive that music is very important in a film or game, and this might just be the first review to note the music, witch is very very very well done by Mark Isham. Even four years after it's realise, the final credits still bring a tear to my eyes.

"This one's gonna go for miles, Homer!" ~Quinten

which can be surprising!

Readers find that many of their favorite books translate poorly to the screen.... "October Sky", the screen version of Homer Hickam's autobiography, "Rocket Boys" is just the opposite. Joe Johnston directs a talented, and somewhat unknown cast in a beautifully paced, visually fulfilling film that yes, can be described as "heartwarming", without being maudlin or corny!

Gifted actor/actress Chris Cooper and Laura Dern play pivotal, if small, roles in the coming of age tale of young Hickam, who developed his passion for space exploration in the Kennedy years, in West Virginia. Austere and poor, the town of Coalwood earns its livelihood from the danger and depression that surrounds the central employer, the coal mines. Getting out of Coalwood has only been accomplished by talented football players - Hickam is not! New find Jake Gyllenhaal, with extraordinary timing and quiet charisma, plays young Homer, with passion and humor. Surrounding him are believable young actors as his buddies, as they embark on the true story of discovering the hobby of rocketry, and use the hobby as a foundation for all their future hopes and dreams. Along the way, they bring the town to life and make believers out of many, including Cooper, as Homer's father.

Gyllenhaal has had limited screen exposure, but many fans are awaiting his upcoming roles in summer movies, "Highway" and "The Bubble Boy". He demonstrates extraordinary range in his role as Homer Hickam. Almost unnoticed, but unique, in the film is his mother, from whom the real Homer must have inherited his dreams and his vision. A small town Mom in the 60's, she occupies her spare time by painting a mural in her kitchen!

The special edition DVD has some excellent "making the movie" features, and the follow up spotlights on the real Homer and his family and friends are interesting and found on all versions.

October Sky, although generally praised by the critics, did not reach a large audience in theaters. It's appeal, however, is for everyone. See it soon!

This is a perfect example of why not to listen to your parents because they are always selfish and only thinking of themslves. Little Homer wantd a rocket and he built one and then the sheriff said he burnt down the town and took away his rockets so Homer had to secretly build rockets and win a science fair to redeem himself in the eyes of GOD.

This is a perfect example of why not to listen to your parents because they are always selfish and only thinking of themslves. Little Homer wantd a rocket and he built one and then the sheriff said he burnt down the town and took away his rockets so Homer had to secretly build rockets and win a science fair to redeem himself in the eyes of GOD.

October Sky is indeed a great movie as nearly everyone has written in these reviews. But it is based on a great book, too, written by Homer Hickam (not Hickman!!!) titled Rocket Boys or in the paperback version October Sky. The book is quite a bit different from the movie but is every bit as powerful. If you want to know the real story of the Coalwood Rocket Boys and also just read a very good page-turning book, try it and the sequels out, too. The Coalwood Way and Sky of Stone - great books!

In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into space and inspired a boy and a nation. Homer Hickman(Gyllenhaal) was a humble kid who dreamed of getting out of his coal mine hometown. His father(Cooper)has different views for his son and wants him to get his head out of the stars. Homer takes the ridicule from his father and then puts out one of the greatest acts of persevarance ever told.

Jake Gyllenhaal is great. This is superb acting from this young man. He is one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood and this is his humble beginnig. He plays Homer well. He plays off the other actors around him well. It's an emotional performance in an emotional tale.

Chirs Cooper is quickly becoming one of the best actors alive. His performance as Homer's dad is as good as his performance in American Beauty. Cooper truly becomes the character he plays and thats why he's one of the best actors living. I really think him and Gyllenhaal got snubbed by Oscars for not getting any recognition for there roles.

I love October Sky. It's a great movie about hard work and perseverance. Everyone should see this movie. It shows the american dream and what can happen if you have a goal and do everything you can to acheive it. This is a great family film and is one of the best movies ever made.

This movie is definitely, withut a doubt, the best movie of 1999 in my opinion. Here's why: The acting is great, the music is well done and fits the era perfectly, and the story is uplifting and inspiring. This movie, however, is not a feel-good movie with a cliched story line and needless melodrama. This movie is about a boy who lives in the coal moning town of verginia, who on one fatefull night, watches Russia's satelitte, the Sputnik race across the October Sky. This inspires him to build rockets againt all odds, be it his father, a hardened coal miner, who refuses to let Homer build rockets on campany property, forcing them to walk 7 miles to snake root, or the fact that there wasn't very much information on rockets in coalwood. However, with the help of his freinds, this story became one of success despite great odds. I beleive that music is very important in a film or game, and this might just be the first review to note the music, witch is very very very well done by Mark Isham. Even four years after it's realise, the final credits still bring a tear to my eyes.

"This one's gonna go for miles, Homer!" ~Quinten

which can be surprising!

Readers find that many of their favorite books translate poorly to the screen.... "October Sky", the screen version of Homer Hickam's autobiography, "Rocket Boys" is just the opposite. Joe Johnston directs a talented, and somewhat unknown cast in a beautifully paced, visually fulfilling film that yes, can be described as "heartwarming", without being maudlin or corny!

Gifted actor/actress Chris Cooper and Laura Dern play pivotal, if small, roles in the coming of age tale of young Hickam, who developed his passion for space exploration in the Kennedy years, in West Virginia. Austere and poor, the town of Coalwood earns its livelihood from the danger and depression that surrounds the central employer, the coal mines. Getting out of Coalwood has only been accomplished by talented football players - Hickam is not! New find Jake Gyllenhaal, with extraordinary timing and quiet charisma, plays young Homer, with passion and humor. Surrounding him are believable young actors as his buddies, as they embark on the true story of discovering the hobby of rocketry, and use the hobby as a foundation for all their future hopes and dreams. Along the way, they bring the town to life and make believers out of many, including Cooper, as Homer's father.

Gyllenhaal has had limited screen exposure, but many fans are awaiting his upcoming roles in summer movies, "Highway" and "The Bubble Boy". He demonstrates extraordinary range in his role as Homer Hickam. Almost unnoticed, but unique, in the film is his mother, from whom the real Homer must have inherited his dreams and his vision. A small town Mom in the 60's, she occupies her spare time by painting a mural in her kitchen!

The special edition DVD has some excellent "making the movie" features, and the follow up spotlights on the real Homer and his family and friends are interesting and found on all versions.

October Sky, although generally praised by the critics, did not reach a large audience in theaters. It's appeal, however, is for everyone. See it soon!

This is a perfect example of why not to listen to your parents because they are always selfish and only thinking of themslves. Little Homer wantd a rocket and he built one and then the sheriff said he burnt down the town and took away his rockets so Homer had to secretly build rockets and win a science fair to redeem himself in the eyes of GOD.

I have a friend who describes this one as boring. Not True! It's in the same line as Phantom Train and Daredevils. It's one of those episodes that teaches Young Indy about respecting life and people, but they're still great episodes, even if they are less exciting.

I thought, from reading the description, that this would be boring. But it wasn't, not by a long shot. It's probably the best "Young Indy".

The action is limited to the first five or so minutes, where Lieutenant De Fonz (aka Indy) disobeys his superior and tells the troops to advance instead of retreat. This results in victory, and a promotion to Captain, but also the Major holding a grudge. Naturally, Indy and the Major are then teamed up on a mission to retrieve some weapons.

The opening battle sequence was even more graphic then "Trenches of Hell", and when Indy grabs the machine gun and mows done countless men, we see just how far he's come (or fallen) in less than a year. I love this one for all the character developement Indy undergoes, especially in relation to the previous videos. It's good to keep in mind that it's now December of 1916, and just last February all Indy cared about was the prom, and driving a cool car to said event. More has happened to Indy in ten months than happens in real peoples' entire lives.

That's where he is at the start of "Oganga". By the end he's changed even more, due to all the slow death he's had to witness. "Onganga" is great just for the fact that Indy is more human in this than he's ever been. He gets feverish, delusionary, and downright depressed. He seems like a real 17-year-old who's in way over his head. This isn't your typical Indy.

While it's good to see Indy's interaction with Schweitzer, and how it changes his outlook on life, I can't help but note that Harrison Ford's Indy seems to have forgotten the whole thing. He's back to killing with nonchalance, and even glee. Perhaps the Young Indy writers should have tried to be more consistent with the already established future. But at least they are consistent within the series, because in the next video ("Hawkmen") Indy changes his approach to the war by joining the secret service.

Kudos to Sean Patrick Flanery, he's a great Indy, especially in this one.

I bought Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life for my younger son, who is enthralled with anything having to do with Indiana Jones, but I frequently find myself watching this and the other Young Indiana Jones videos with him. The series is simply superb.

George Lucas used some of the best writers, directors and acting talent available to him and filmed the series on location around the world. As a result, despite being made for television, they are gems. Ordinarily, I hate it when movies are used to send a message, but the messages in the series generally flow naturally from the plots without being overly heavy-handed.

In this installment, Indy is an officer serving in the Belgian army in Africa during the Great War who is sent on an important and dangerous mission. In the process, he learns much about leadership, European colonialism, death, and ultimately what is important in life. The series skillfully interweaves real-life people into the plot, and in this installment Indy meets Albert Schweitzer.

Parents should be advised that, while uplifting, this is a war movie and that death, from both battle and disease, is integral to the plot.

As in most of these reviews, i was flipping through the channels in the middle of the night, not really enjoying a free month of showtime that our dish network provided us, when i stumbled on this movie. it was about 15 minutes into it. once i started watching it, i couldn't stop. this movie changed me. it takes a lot for a movie to make me feel anything, but Sweet Jane cut through. Plus, the cliched junkie story was very interesting. What really sticks in my mind, however, is the final scene... i'm actually afraid to watch it again, wondering if that first high i got from Sweet Jane can be repeated.

I caught Sweet Jane as a midnight movie, as I'm assuming is the norm. This movie was haunting. The high of love, the high of heroin, the low of death, and the low of addiction all play combatting roles in this movie. If you're in for a tear-inducing depressing, but still wonderful film, watch Sweet Jane.

As some other reviewers, I was up late channel surfing when I came across something about a hooker being followed around by the kid from Dazed and Confused so naturally, I was intrigued. This, as well as other great midnight movies that show on Showtime, Cinemax and sometimes HBO, are the reason I even turn on the tv (save for the Simpsons and Star Trek). If you see one movie that isn't glorified by explosions and shiny things, DEFINITLY make it this one. It's a bit odd, but if you can stomach the dark look on the underbelly of society, you'll find one of the best films you've ever seen.

"Trenches of Hell" is one of the few modern examinations of World War I, and for that alone it's worth the purchase price. It has a fine "slice of life" feel about it, meandering from the horror of gas warfare to camraderie stolen amongst the hodgepodge of allies that made up the allied side in this "war to end all wars."

What it doesn't have is Indiana Jones--or very much of an ending. There is, after all, no reason for Indy to be present in the telling of the tale--we learn nothing about him nor are we even treated to any of his trademarked mannerisms. Yes, we get lost in this world, and the storytelling--until the surprisingly weak ending--is intriguing enough to demand our attention. But the protagonist could've been Anyman for as much as the spirit of Indiana Jones appears here. Flanery is a fine actor, and his performance is clearly one of the hooks that keeps us interested, but he needed a few scenes of genuine character development to tie his Indy in with Ford's. Instead, this is another Young Indy epsiode in which the name "Indiana Jones" has been stolen for the noble purpose of introducing a wider audience to history.

Thus, like some other entrants in this series, "Trenches of Hell" leaves Indy fans disappointed, but better off for the experience.

If you watch these videos in chronological order (which you should) this provides a fascinating follow up to the cute and funny Spring Break Adventure (even the more serious Mexico half featured jokes like the letter Indy wrote to his dad). The only problem is, that it shouldn't follow directly after like it does. There were two episodes, "Ireland, April 1916" and "London, May 1916" that were not put on video. Instead, we jump from what must be March (in Mexico) to "Somme, Early August 1916" and "Germany, Mid August 1916". One might ask why this was done.

Once you stop wondering how Indy got to be a Corporal and all that, this video is very good. It really is too bad that there are so few WWI movies out there, compared to all the WWII ones to pick from. I've read some reviewers complain about the fact that the series would be better if it took place in WWII, but it wouldn't exactly be YOUNG Indy, then, would it?

Personnaly, I enjoyed the second half more, as it was less grim and more adventurous. Charles de Gaulle is the only one who seems to recognize Indy's American accent for what it is. It's too bad the ending is so abrupt. Indy doesn't even get out of German territory, which leads to yet another big gap between this video and the next one, where Indy is magically in Africa with Remy, whom I swear died in "Trenches of Hell." Yes, indeed, there are two more episodes, "Verdun, September 1916" and "Paris, October 1916" which are not included.

So, the video itself is great, but for a person who likes to know what's going on all the time, this video series leaves me feeling gypped way too often.

I like this movie because of it's powerful, dramatic story. As George Lucas says in the beginning It's designed to show the horrors of war, so don't expect comic relief, because there is none to be found. The reason why is this film appears to be very grim. It's also very serious. I highly recommend this film to future Indiana Jones fans, and for future High School history classes. Part one of this movie is horrific. It's just a warning of what you shouldn't expect. That's all. I also recommend that future High School teachers, and students watch this video as part of their history classes.

David Mamet has always been a fimmaker whose most unique asset is his control of the english language... (Or maybe more accurately, 'Mamet's English Language') Well, this film looks like a Mamet film, especially with favorite performers like Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna and William H Macy (in a blonde punk hairstyle...). But, it is less of a language film than a touching and slight odd-couple comedy. This matching a mob enforcer with a sicilian shoemaker in Lake Tahoe. Don Ameche is a totally charm in the film, each moment displaying the innocence of a shoemaker. That innocence is misinterpreted as cold-hearted mafiosa control. The film is a wonderful distraction but lacks the brain of other Mamet films like HOUSE OF GAMES and OLEANNA. The DVD has a nice widescreen transfer and an original mono audio track. Remneber, Things Change.

I gave this film four stars, kind of as an homage. Joe Montenga and Don Ameche were both pretty good, they made me chuckle; a star apiece.
The other two stars, just on general principle, have to go to the writer.
Shel Silverstein wrote this!

David Mamet makes great films, but oddly some very great ones seem to go unoticed. This is probably his best film in my opinion and I loved HOUSE OF GAMES, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, HOMICIDE(also overlooked) and THE WINSLOW BOY. It's got that whole fairy tale feel to it that is strangely and powerfully endearing. Don Ameche is a cobbler who is called by the mob to go to jail for one of theirs(for murder). He accepts and has only a few days before he must stand up in court. Joe Mantegna is a small time screw up who is assigned to deliver Ameche when the time comes. Being a compassionate man, Mantegna takes Ameche out for a last hurrah. Very, funny and charming feature co-written by Shel Sivlerstein. Also showcases the remarkable talents of Robert Prosky, Ricky Jay, J.T. Walsh and William H. Macy. Sort of like the Hal Asby classic THE LAST DETAIL. A film to be owned!

The first half is a hoot the whole way through, it has to be the funniest Young Indy episode. The ending is great; I remember being surprised when I first watched it on TV, so I won't give it away. I'll just say Giulietta isn't as naive as she seemed.

To the second half. This one wasn't supposed to be amusing, but it was. First off I'll say that I did not like Edith Wharton, and from what I've read about her books, I wouldn't like them either. (Basically they're about people with repressed passions, who have affairs that ruin their lives...blah). Edith is obviously going through a midlife crises, and sees Indy as a potential boy toy to make her feel young again. Indy sees her as a mother figure, though a couple lines at the end try to convince us he wishes he were his father's age so he could have a romantic relationship with her. Frankly, it sounded more like he was just saying that to make her feel better.

There was some slight adventure going on in the second half, but it was just backdrop for the romantic tale. All in all, this one is great to watch if you want to laugh at the characters all the way through.

Though the series is plagued with misguided efforts to steer Indy into the company of historical greats, this time Lucasfilm keeps the improbabilities to a minimum. This pleasant surprise allows Indy some interesting character development. This is the only tape in which both hours are devoted to romantic plot lines.

Hour One has Indy scuffling with Ernest Hemingway over the affections of an Italian heiress. It's an unusually light-hearted turn for the series to take. The battle between Hemingway and Jones is a treat, and we're more than glad that the battlefield is Italian. Happily, too, Hemingway's appearance in the episode is plausible and welcome. Nothing very original happens in this oft-repeated tale of romantic rivalry, but it's cleverly done against gorgeous backdrops so we hardly mind the staleness of the plot. It's particularly satisfying to see Indy so romantically vulnerable, if only because he grows up to be more of a cynic in the theatrical films. The groundwork laid in this episode introduces us to the side of Harrison Ford's Indy that recklessly falls for the German archaeologist in THE LAST CRUSADE. Yet it also gives us a peek into why he might've had problems committing to Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood character in RAIDERS.

Hour Two is one of my favorite hours because it combines an interesting mystery with Moroccan surroundings and the unrequited love of an older woman. The friendship with the very much older Edith Wharton is handled with great tact and affection. It is this relationship, more than any other in the YOUNG INDY series, which demonstrates Indy's true philosophical take on women. We see here that he is not a rogue capable of maliciously ruining Marion's life in RAIDERS-as Marion accuses-but that the end to Indy's longest-lasting relationship must have come for other, more noble reasons.

Also, there's a lot more to Hour Two than tentative romance. A mystery of interesting proportions is afoot, and Indy's tracking of it is a delight. It's a kind of Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes mystery, with Indy doing some pretty impressive sleuthing.

All in all, then, "Tales of Innocence" is a highly recommendable member of the YOUNG INDY series, and should probably be one of the first three tapes newcomers watch.

This has to be the best out of the titles released in the UK so far ('Phantom Train of Doom', 'Treasure of the Peacock's Eye', 'Daredevils of the Desert' and this itself). I know that may not be saying all that much, but this is truly a FANTASTIC chapter of Indiana Jones.

The love story in the first half is my favourite part of it. Very comic but also moving. It's also really great to see Pernilla August (Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother from 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace') in another good role - she's even playing a main character's mother again!

Basically the director couldnt tell the story well enough and had to read the other critic explainations to get somewhat a understanding of the film plot. The movie had two plots going on at once and both are unrelated to the other case. The lead role was played by Joe Mantegna. The movie dialogue was oddly done and looked almost fake. The dialogue was so plain everyone had the same emotion. The movie tries to make a change in Joe's character but does a terrible transformation of his character. His change in character was not realistic at all. I will not make this a spoiler as the other reviews do a good job of explaining the film. Really the director did a poor job of making me excited enough about the racist overtones in the movie and I think the directors whole point was to make you excited about the racism of Jews versus anti-Jews.

In my opinion this film was really dumb and the ending was anti-climatic. I do not recommend people to view this film because it is not worth their time.

Some David Mamet films have incredible notoriety amongst the literate set (Glengarry Glen Ross, Oleanna, House of Games). His 2 Oscar noms (Wag the Dog, The Verdict) as well as his non-nominated script for The Untouchables have him firmly established with Hollywood's power base as well.

For my money, the oft-overlooked Homicide is a true Mamet gem--startling in its genius.

Put simply, Homicide is a revealing look at a man's journey into himself. Many will be distracted by the subject matter and tune out, but try to hang on.

Joe Mantegna's Bobby Gold is a tough cop who denies his Jewish lineage, until a low priority murder investigation into an aged Holocast survivor forces him to re-evaluate his entire existence. The resulting destruction of the man is cruel and never-ending,...and brilliant.

William H. Macy, an until-now bit player, gets a well-deserved promotion to #2 man among the strong supporting cast as Gold's partner and sounding board.

The intricacies of the plot, the subtleties of the subtext, as well as the perfunctory Mamet attention to detail may mean a second, or third look is necessary for the viewer to get straight with what's going on------- but take the time, if you can, it just keeps getting better and better.

aFTER SEEING THIS VIDEO THREE TIMES AND GIVING IT MUCH THOUGHT i

BELIEVE i HAVE FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT. bOBBY gOLD SUFFERS TWO ASSAULTS, ONE VERBAL... AND ONE PHYSICAL(WHEN HE SUFFERS A SEVERE BLOW YO HIS HEAD IN THE BEGINNING PART OF THE FILM. tHEN HE IS INVOLVED IN TWO VERY DRAMATIC YET UNRELATEDSCENARIOS. i REALLY THINK THE CRIME PLOT IS REAL AND THE PLOT INVOLVING THE ANTI-SEMITIC SUBJECT IS AN ILLUSIONCAUSED BY HIS SELF DOUBT. iN OTHER WORDS, IT IS ALL IN HIS HEAD. eVEN THE PHOTOGRAPHY IN THESE SEQUENCES IS DREAM-LIKE AND IMPRESSIONISTIC. tHE TIP OFF IS AT THE VERY END WHEN THE PIGEON FOOD BRAND TURNS OUT TO BE THE SAME NAME AS THE NAZI WORD FOR hITLER! iT IS REALLY ANOTHER VERSION OF dAVID mAMET AND HIS MAGIC. a REALLY WONDERFUL AND UNDER RATED FILM AND I BELIEVE MOST VIEWERS AND CRITICS REALLY DID NOT "GET IT"