i watch this film without know anything about it whatsoever and find it similar thematically to billy elliott ( 2000 ) . both film be base around a troubled father or son relationship . in both film and the son do not want to follow his father down the mine and dream of a good life away from their home town . both son face derision by their classmate and both have a strong female role model who teach them . the major difference that i find between the film be that october sky be an infinitely more interesting and touching film . laura dern put in a moving performance and chris cooper play the disapprove father very well a he go on to do in american beauty ( 1999 ) . joe johnston surprise me with his subtle directing and very different from his other directorial feature such a jumanji ( 1995 ) and jurassic park iii ( 2001 ) .