October Sky (Special Edition) (DVD)

October Sky is a rare gem that somehow manages to get overlooked by several moviegoers, myself included as this 1999 film is getting the Special Edition DVD treatment.

Based on a true story, October Sky tells the story of Homer Hickam and his gang of "Rocket Boys." Inspired by the sighting of the Russian launched satellite Sputnik, four boys set out to build a working rocket despite the obstacles ahead of them, all while living in the small mining town of Coalwood where children are expected to graduate from high school and follow in their father's footsteps down into the mine.

This couldn't be truer for Homer, as his mine-foreman father sees Homer's vision as a waste of time and a supreme disappointment, but Homer doesn't let anything stand in the way of his dream in this truly inspirational story.

The original DVD release of October Sky only featured a short behind-the-scenes featurette titled "Spotlight on Location," which this edition carries along with the all new featurette; "Aiming High: The Story of the Rocket Boys" and a feature length commentary by Homer Hickam himself.

Hickam's commentary adds insight into what parts of the story are embellished and what actually happened. While it is to be expected that some of the story is expanded or changed for dramatic effect, several of the most emotional scenes of October Sky were exactly as they happened and it is a welcome realization.

On top of the commentary you get an expanded look into the life of Homer Hickam as he guides you through the featurette, "Aiming High: The Story of the Rocket Boys." While some of the information he offers up does duplicate what you heard in his commentary and saw in the film the 30 minute feature expands on the story and is a welcome expansion to the traditional making-of featurette, and hearing it straight from the source always ups the entertainment level.

While the features on this special edition are limited to two new features, an old one and trailers, they are certainly worth your time, but the main attraction is the movie itself. Chris Cooper once again proves he is one of greatest actors of all-time, Laura Dern gives the best performance of her career and Jake Gyllenhaal kick starts his career before becoming the star of the cult classic Donnie Darko.

October Sky is definitely a must see, a movie drama fans will want to watch again and again and even those tough guys in the audience may find themselves breaking down over.