Directed by: Joe Johnston
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen
Factual error: As Homer and his friends attempt to flag down the train after dislodging the old rail, the engine seen is of the 2-8-2 wheel arrangement with markings of the Norfolk and Western Railway. The Norfolk and Western never owned any 2-8-2 locomotives, preferring instead engines of the 4-8-0 arrangement.
Factual error: This movie takes place in 1957, clear from the Sputnik reference, but at the dance they play "It's All in the Game" which didn't come out until 1959.
Continuity mistake: When Homer is walking to Snake Root, he has a rolling pin in his box. You can see the pin change positions in the box.
Quentin: They watched us get arrested. We're practically ex-convicts. They'll never dance with us.
O'Dell: Jesus, Quentin, you don't know anything about women.
Trivia: The title "October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys," the book on which the movie is based.