A Biblical Response on Race | Sermon by Tony Evans

LEADERSHIP MOVIE ANALYSIS: OCTOBER SKY (1999)

The plot of the movie October Sky (1999) exemplifies the definition of change and change-
leadership. Given that leadership is the bringing forth of change, the movie displays a new vision that communicates direction, aligns people toward a common goal, and motivates change despite the challenges. October Sky is based on the true story of “The Rocket Boys,” from a western Virginia town called Coalwood. It was October 4, 1957. The movie begins with an announcement that the Soviet Union launched a man-made satellite into orbit called Sputnik. The Russians beat the Americans in the race to space, deemed a threat to American national security, and diminishing global influence. October Sky (1999) Sputnik becomes an external force demanding change. It opens with an American radio broadcaster calling the rocket launch “a grim new chapter in the Cold War,” and “a wave of national anxiety that is sweeping the country.” One hour and forty-one minutes of rugged coal miners busy about their business, trains, cars (Plymouths, Chevys Chryslers, Fords), railroad tracks, teens, high school football, and Rock n Roll, propels the viewers back to the American ‘50s.