Reflection on October Sky (a movie)

correctmeplz

Oct. 20, 2022

Reflection on October Sky (a movie)

October Sky is a classic movie that has been shown on cable TV numerous times in my area. I had come across the movie a few times before, but I always ended up watching it in the middle of the movie on TV. Therefore, I never got a chance to finish the whole movie. When I found it on Netflix the other day, I decided to watch it again.

The story of October Sky is set in Coalwood, which is a mining town in the United States. At the time of Russia's first rocket launch in history, Americans were eager to catch up and win the space race, including four ambitious teenagers from Coalwood. In the early days, every man from Coalwood was expected to work as a miner after graduating from senior high school, and the four teenagers, known as the rocket boys, were no exception.
However, they had a dream of building rockets. None of them thought they would ever have a future toiling in the coalmine.

In the beginning, very few people believed in Homer, Jim and their friends. Only Homer's mother, Ms. Riley, Mr. Bykovski and Mr. Bolten were supportive of Homer's dream and offered help in their own ways. Homer's father seems to be a foreman or somebody in the management position. He had been devoted his whole life to mining, and hoped that Homer would follow in his footsteps, becoming a skilled miner. Homer's father was strongly opposed to Homer's obsession in rockets.

Among all the people supporting Homer and his friends, Ms. Riley played an important role in Homer's success. Through the help of Ms. Riley, Homer and his friends learned that if they could ever win in the science fair, they would be granted with full scholarships for college. One time, Mr. Riley gave Homer a red book about rocket science. Also, they got away with punishments from school a few times thanks to Ms. Riley. It was heart breaking to see her suffer from a rare disease.

In one accident in the mine, Homer's father was injured and hospitalized. In order to support the whole family, Homer volunteered to do mining work. Deep inside, however, Homer still had his heart set on building rockets.

The night Homer participated in the science fair on behalf of four, he found that the parts on display were stolen. He called his mother for help. Then, Homer's mother "persuaded" Homer's father to help Homer out. Persuaded here may be just an understatement. In fact, she threatened to leave him if he wouldn't give Homer a hand. Fortunately, with the permission of Homer's father, Mr. Bolten made new parts and delivered to Homer. They managed to pull it off against all the odds. Eventually, Homer won the gold medal at the science fair, and he even talked with his idol without realizing it. As they were about to launch the last rocket on the field, Homer's father showed up. It was obvious that not only was Homer's father proud of Homer in the mine, but he is also proud of him in his achievement in rockets.

October Sky is such an inspiring and entertaining movie to me. I like how Homer and the rocket boys stood up for their dream no matter what. When you find something you want to do, you will work hard and be aware of your own ability and limit. It's important to enlist the resources of other people to make it. Also, having the courage to take risks is critical. Finally, I really admire Homer's ability to think outside the box. He had a vision that there were other opportunities other than football and mining.

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Corrections

gingerbreadwoman

Reflection on October Sky (a movie)

October Sky is a classic movie that has been shown on cable TV numerous times in my area.

I had come across the movie on TV a few times before, but I always ~~ended up watching it~~seemed to land in the middle of it~~he movie on TV~~.

Not grammatically wrong, just tried to make it sound more natural.

Therefore, I never got a chance to finish the whole movie.

When I found it on Netflix the other day, I decided to watch it again.

The story of October Sky is set in Coalwood, which is a mining town in the United States.

At the time of Russia's first rocket launch in history, Americans were eager to catch up and win the space race, including four ambitious teenagers from Coalwood.

In the early days, every man from Coalwood was expected to work as a miner after graduating from senior high school, and the four teenagers, known as the rocket boys, were no exception.

However, they had a dream of building rockets.

None of them thought they would ever have a future toiling in the coal mine.

In the beginning, very few people believed in Homer, Jim and their friends.

Only Homer's mother, Ms. Riley, Mr. Bykovski and Mr. Bolten were supportive of Homer's dream and offered help in their own ways.

Homer's father seems to be a foreman or somebody in ~~the~~a management position.

He had been devoted his whole life to mining, and hoped that Homer would follow in his footsteps, becoming a skilled miner.

Homer's father was strongly opposed to Homer's obsession in rockets.

Among all the people supporting Homer and his friends, Ms. Riley played an important role in Homer's success.

~~Throug~~With the help of Ms. Riley, Homer and his friends learned that if they could ever win in the science fair, they would be granted with full scholarships for college.

Either "With the help of Ms. Riley" or "Through Ms. Riley" sound ok, but "Through the help of Ms. Riley" doesn't sound right.

One time, Mr. Riley gave Homer a red book about rocket science.

Also, they got ~~away with~~out of punishments from school a few times thanks to Ms. Riley.

This is what I assume you meant. Or you could say "they got away with bad behaviour/causing trouble/etc."

It was heart breaking to see her suffer from a rare disease.

In one accident in the mine, Homer's father was injured and hospitalized.

In order to support the whole family, Homer volunteered to do mining work.

Deep inside, however, Homer still had his heart set on building rockets.

The night Homer participated in the science fair on behalf of ~~four~~the four friends, he found that the parts on display ~~were~~had been stolen.

He called his mother for help.

Then, Homer's mother "persuaded" Homer's father to help Homer out.

Persuaded here may be just an understatement.

In fact, she threatened to leave him if he wouldn't give Homer a hand.

Fortunately, with the permission of Homer's father, Mr. Bolten made new parts and delivered them to Homer.

They managed to pull it off against all ~~the~~ odds.

I would say either "against all odds" or "against the odds" but not "against all the odds."

Eventually, Homer won the gold medal at the science fair, and he even talked with his idol without realizing it.

As they were about to launch the last rocket on the field, Homer's father showed up.

It was obvious that not only was Homer's father proud of Homer in the mine, but he is also proud of him infor his achievement in rockets.

October Sky is such an inspiring and entertaining movie to me.

I like how Homer and the rocket boys stood up for their dream no matter what.

When you find something you want to do, you ~~will~~ have towork hard and be aware of your own ability and limit.s

It's important to enlist the resources of other people to make it.

Also, having the courage to take risks is critical.

Finally, I really admire Homer's ability to think outside the box.

He had a vision that there were other opportunities ~~other than~~besides football and mining.

It sounds better not to use "other" twice in one sentence, especially so close together.

Feedback

Excellent writing! Most of my corrections are not correcting real mistakes, just suggesting ways that sound better or more natural.

correctmeplz

Oct. 21, 2022

Also, they got ~~away with~~out of punishments from school a few times thanks to Ms. Riley.

Yes, that is exactly what I meant. Thank you! Most of the time Homer got verbal punishments from Mr. Turner the principal.

correctmeplz

Oct. 21, 2022

I had come across the movie on TV a few times before, but I always ~~ended up watching it~~seemed to land in the middle of it~~he movie on TV~~.

This is very helpful! Thank you so much! I was struggling to put it in English. When I watch TV, I don't usually check TV listings. I'd watch anything being shown as I flip through the channels. Sometimes, I might even catch a movie so late that it was about to play the cast list lol.

correctmeplz

Oct. 21, 2022

Thank you! Your help means a lot to me. I'm thrilled to have learned natural expressions and grammar from you.

They managed to pull it off against all the odds.

They managed to pull it off against all ~~the~~ odds.

I would say either "against all odds" or "against the odds" but not "against all the odds."

When you find something you want to do, you will work hard and be aware of your own ability and limit.

When you find something you want to do, you ~~will~~ have towork hard and be aware of your own ability and limit.s

Eventually, Homer won the gold medal at the science fair, and he even talked with his idol without realizing it.