October Sky (Film)

 

Johnstone, Jon (Director).  October Sky.

Written by:  Homer Hickam Jr. and Lewis Colick

Release date: February 19, 1999 (USA)

Paramount Pictures

Cast:

Jake Gyllenhaal:   Homer Hickam

Chris Cooper:   John Hickam

Laura Dern:   Miss Frieda Riley

Chris Owen:   Quentin Wilson

William Lee Scott:   Roy Lee Cooke

Chad Lindberg:   Sherman O'Dell

Natalie Canerday:   Elsie Hickam

Randy Stripling:   Leon Bolden

Viewer’s Annotation:

In a town where boys grow up to work in a coal mine, Homer Hickam Jr. decided to follow his dream--all the way to space.

Storyline:

In Coalwood, West Virginia, in 1957, almost every man in town worked in the coal mines.  That was no exception for the father of Homer Hickam.  Homer, a high school student, loved school—especially science.  But Homer’s father John loved the mine and expected both of his sons to join him there one day.  Then came the day in October when it was announced that the Russians had launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth.  Homer was inspired but the possibilities, and began to study about and to try to make his own rockets.  With the help of Quentin, the school’s math geek and his friends Roy Lee and O’Dell, Homer actually builds and launches some rockets.  Most were flops, but with the support of Miss Riley, the science teacher, they experimented with the fuel and design, and were successful.  When a forest fire starts some distance away, Homer and his friends are blamed, with the authorities stating that it was a failed rocket that started it.  Then a disaster in the mine result in one death, and Homer’s father is injured.  Homer has no choice, he leaves high school and takes his father’s place at the mine while John recovers.  Eventually, Homer researches rocket trajectories, and he and his friends are able to find and recover their lost rocket—which was far from the fire.  Reinspired, Homer and his friends enter their work in the school Science Fair.  They win and the school sends Homer to the national science fair.  When Homer wins the top prize, colleges knock themselves over offering him scholarships.  When he returns to Coalwood and visits the hospital to see Miss Riley, now ill with Hodgkin’s Disease, and show her his medal.  The movie ends with the “Rocket Boys” launching their biggest rocket yet, named the “Miss Riley”.

Critical Analysis:

Based on the book Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam Jr., October Sky is a inspiring story of one boy’s determination to follow his dream, despite the pressures put on him to do otherwise.  Homer’s relationship with his father, one of the main subplots in the movie, is filled with the tension between Homer desperately wanting the approval of a father, and yet wanting and needing to follow his own path.  The other main subplot is Homer relationship with Miss Riley.  Her support of Homer and the other boys endears her to the viewers.  When Miss Riley lies in the hospital bed dying of Hodgkin’s Disease, your heart breaks for her.  But seeing how her encouragement and support has propelled Homer closer to his dreams, brings her a measure of peace and closure.  Knowing that this is a true story makes this movie all the more inspiring.

Genre

Drama

Curriculum Tie-ins

Science

Rating

PG

Challenge Issues/Challenge Defense Ideas

None

Why I included this

• So many teen movies are comedy/dramas based on high school life and teen angst.  October Sky features a different kind of story that may inspire teens to not give up, and to shoot for the stars.
• October Sky has a 93% "Fresh" rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes based on 59 reviews

Great Quote from the Movie:

“No. Coal mining may be your life, but it's not mine. I'm never going down there again. I wanna go into space.”

10 Things I Hate About You (Film)

Junger, Gil (Director). 10 Things I Hate About You.

Touchstone Pictures. 1999.

Viewer’s Annotation

Bad boy Patrick Verona tries to win unlikeable Kat, so that Cameron can date Kat’s very likeable sister Bianca—all under the nose of the girls’ over protective, paranoid father.

Cast

Heath Ledger:  Patrick Verona

Julia Stiles:  Kat Stratford

Joseph Gordon-Levitt:  Cameron James

Larisa Oleynik:  Bianca Stratford

Storyline

Kat Stratford is such a shrew!  Actually, she’s just a beautiful girl at Padua High School who doesn’t put up with anything or anyone—and she’s the one person standing in the way of fellow student Cameron being able to date Kat’s younger sister Bianca.  Because of their hyper-paranoid father, Bianca can’t date until Kat does (and Kat has no interest in that!).  Cameron devises a plan to get Kat to date—he convinces mysterious Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to pursue Kat.  Based on The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, 10 Things I Hate About You is a relevant remake, steeped in Shakespearean allusions and humor.

Critical Evaluation

As an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You has a lot going for it—it’s based on a timeless, classic comedy, for one.  The dialog is cleverly funny in a lot of places.  Unfortunately, the dialog also sinks into crude talk which seems unnecessary for what would otherwise be a high-quality film.  The casting is the strength of the film, particularly Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles as Patrick and Kat.  Their chemistry is electric no matter what emotion they portray--from anger to passion.  Stiles beautifully portrays the shrew, Kat.  Her interactions with just about everyone, but especially her teacher, are sharp and funny—making her come across as a strong, willful young woman instead of as a pitiful out-of-control wretch.  Kat’s confrontation with Patrick in class condenses all their chemistry into one heart-wrenching scene.

Genre

Romantic comedy

Curriculum Tie-ins

English Literature

Drama

Rating

PG-13

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

Crude sex-related humor and dialog

Alcohol and drug-related scenes, all involving teens.

• Be ready with a copy of the library’s selection policy.
• Be familiar with similar works in the collection.
• Refer to ALA’s Intellectual Freedom resources.

Why I included this work

The Taming of the Shrew is a favorite Shakespearean play, and seeing the adaptation may encourage viewers to see the other.

The movie was nominated for five Teen Choice Awards: 

• Film Breakout Performance (Stiles)
• Film Choice Comedy
• Film Funniest Scene (featuring Krumholtz)
• Film Sexiest Love Scene (featuring Stiles and Ledger)
• Soundtrack of the Year

Great Quote from the Book:

"Walter Stratford: Hello, Katarina. Make anyone cry today?
Kat Stratford: Sadly, no. But it's only 4:30"

Legally Blonde (Film)

Luketic , Robert (Director). Legally Blonde.

Written by: Amanda Brown

Release date: 2001

MGM

Viewer’s Annotation:

When Warner dumps Elle, hinting that she’s too “blonde”, and then heads off to Harvard law school, Elle’s hot of his heels, determined to prove him wrong, and win him back.  But is Harvard ready for Elle Woods?

Cast:

Reese Witherspoon:  Elle Woods

Luke Wilson:  Emmett

Selma Blair:  Vivian

Matthew Davis:  Warner

Victor Garber:  Professor Callahan

Jennifer Coolidge:  Paulette

Storyline:

Elle Woods has just graduated from UCLA, she’s beautiful, is the president of her sorority, and has a boyfriend.  All she wants now is a diamond engagement ring.  But instead of popping the question, Warner breaks up with Elle because he doesn’t think she’s smart enough.  So Elle decides that when he heads off to Harvard law school, she’ll be there too.  Elle discovers that Warner is engaged—to a mean, yuppie law student.  The battle for Warner is on!  When the students get a chance to work on a real murder case, Elle finds out that she knows the defendant and is convince of her innocence.  As she works on the case, Elle grows closer to Emmett.  She finds that he admires her for more that her looks and he has confidence in her abilities.  As the film progresses, Elle works to see that justice is done without chipping a nail!  Those who judged her prematurely, both friends and foes, learn that appearances can be deceiving.

Critical Analysis:

What’s not to love about a girl getting into Harvard Law School in order to win back her boyfriend?  But for Elle Woods, fitting into Harvard is not so easy.  Warner seems more unattainable than ever with his new, prep-school fiancé, but Elle makes friends too, including the handsome young lawyer, Emmett, and Paulette, Elle’s manicurist.  When the opportunity comes for Elle a real case, everyone finds out that there’s a lot more to Elle than lip gloss and high heels.  The theme of not judging people on how they look is woven throughout the film, and the humor is cleverly done and brilliantly acted by Reese Witherspoon.

Genre

Comedy

Curriculum tie-ins

None

Rating

PG-13

Challenge Issues/Defense Ideas

Language

Sexual references

• Be ready with a copy of the library’s selection policy.
• Understand the history of challenges for this particular work.
• Be familiar with similar works in the collection.
• Refer to the film’s rating

Why I included this
Legally Blonde remains highly popular, has had a sequel made and has even been made into a Broadway musical.

Great Quote from the Movie:

Elle: “I just don't think that Brooke could've done this. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't.”

Wayne's World (Film)

Spheeris, Penelope (Director).  Wayne's World

Written by: Mike Myers

Release date: 14 February 1992

Paramount Pictures

 
Viewer’s Annotation:

Wayne and his best friend Garth love to hang out and to produce their public access show, “Wayne’s World”.  But when a big time producer with a sponsor make them an offer, will they be able to refuse?

Cast:

Mike Myers:  Wayne Campbell

Dana Carvey:  Garth Algar

Rob Lowe:  Benjamin Kane

Tia Carrere:  Cassandra

Brian Doyle-Murray:  Noah Vanderhoff

Lara Flynn Boyle:  Stacy

Storyline:

Sure Wayne still lives at home, but he and his best friend Garth do have a public access show that’s pretty popular, and is soon to be even more so.  Wayne and Garth have it good—they love rock & roll and to “party on” with friends!  But then a local station decides to hire him and Garth, to do their show professionally—but it’s just not the same.  When Wayne sees bass player Cassandra, who’s a total babe, he falls hard for her.  He even helps her advance her career by using his and Garth's contacts, knowing that the sleazy advertising guy who is ruining their show will probably take her away from him if they fail.

Critical Analysis:

Wayne’s World is an awesome ride—a lot of fun.  Based on a sketch from Saturday Night Live, Myers and Carvey created excellent characters that you feel like you’ve known forever.  Lowe plays the delightfully sleazy Benjamin Kane, and he’s fun to hate.  The fantastic selection of music and the cameos by performers such as Alice Cooper just add to the entertainment.  The hands-down scene stealer was when Wayne and his friends ride in their car singing Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen—hilarious!

Genre

Comedy

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Rating

PG-13

Challenge Issues/Challenge Defense Ideas

Sex-related humor

• Be ready with a copy of the library’s selection policy.
• Understand the history of challenges for this particular work.
• Be familiar with similar works in the collection.
• Refer to the film’s rating

Why I included this

It’s hilarious, and it incorporates a lot of classic rock and roll, as well as pop culture.

Amazon.com's Funniest Teen Movies

Great Quote from the Movie:

Wayne Campbell:  “I once thought that I had mono for a whole year. Turns out I was just really bored.”