A biographical film or biopic ( / ˈ b aɪ oʊ ˌ p ɪ k / ) is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and historical drama films in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a single person's life story or at least the most historically important years of their lives.
49-438: October Sky is a 1999 American biographical drama film directed by Joe Johnston , and starring Jake Gyllenhaal , Chris Cooper , Chris Owen , and Laura Dern . The screenplay by Lewis Colick , based on the memoir of the same name , tells the true story of Homer H. Hickam Jr. , a coal miner 's son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to take up rocketry against his father's wishes and eventually became
98-551: A NASA engineer. October Sky is based on the lives of four young men who grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia . Principal photography took place in rural East Tennessee , including Oliver Springs , Harriman and Kingston in Morgan and Roane counties. The film was a moderate box office success and received very positive critical reception. It continues to be celebrated in the regions of its setting and filming. October Sky
147-594: A flare from a nearby airfield. Homer tells his father he is returning to high school and no longer wants to work in the mine. The boys return to rocketry and win the school science fair . When the opportunity arises for one of them to participate in the National Science Fair in Indianapolis , they elect Homer. The miner's union goes on strike against the coal company. With the mines set to close and resenting his father's pressures, Homer storms out of
196-624: A Fairytale (2006), and Howard Stern in Private Parts (1997). In 2018, the musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody , based on the life of Queen singer Freddie Mercury , became the highest-grossing biopic in history at the time. In 2023, it was surpassed by Oppenheimer , based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb in World War II. De Laval nozzle A de Laval nozzle (or convergent-divergent nozzle , CD nozzle or con-di nozzle )
245-406: A codified genre using many of the same tropes used in the studio era that has followed a similar trajectory as that shown by Rick Altman in his study, Film/Genre . Bingham also addresses the male biopic and the female biopic as distinct genres from each other, the former generally dealing with great accomplishments, the latter generally dealing with female victimization. Ellen Cheshire's Bio-Pics:
294-491: A converging-diverging nozzle in his steam jet pumps by 1878 after using convergent nozzles but these nozzles remained a company secret. Later, Swedish engineer Gustaf de Laval applied his own converging diverging nozzle design for use on his impulse turbine in the year 1888. Laval's convergent-divergent nozzle was first applied in a rocket engine by Robert Goddard . Most modern rocket engines that employ hot gas combustion use de Laval nozzles. Its operation relies on
343-661: A lack of resemblance between the two. The casting of John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror was objected to because of the American Wayne being cast as the Mongol warlord. Egyptian critics criticized the casting of Louis Gossett Jr. , an African American actor, as Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in the 1983 TV miniseries Sadat . Also, some objected to the casting of Jennifer Lopez in Selena because she
392-444: A life in pictures (2014) examines UK/US films from the 1990s and 2000s. Each chapter reviews key films linked by profession and concludes with further viewing list. Christopher Robé has also written on the gender norms that underlie the biopic in his article, "Taking Hollywood Back" in the 2009 issue of Cinema Journal . Roger Ebert defended The Hurricane and distortions in biographical films in general, stating "those who seek
441-615: A limited vision of how to shape their children's future, the job requires a huge amount of love and a lot of divine assistance." Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide claimed that the movie's highlight was the acting of Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Cooper . The Christian Science Monitor pointed out that some viewers may question "the movie's hero-worshiping treatment of Homer's role model, Wernher von Braun , who's depicted as an all-American icon with no acknowledgment of his earlier career in Nazi Germany." During World War II, Braun
490-409: A nozzle, it is moving at subsonic velocities. As the cross-sectional area contracts, the gas is forced to accelerate until the axial velocity becomes sonic at the nozzle throat, where the cross-sectional area is the smallest. From there the throat the cross-sectional area then increases, allowing the gas to expand and the axial velocity to become progressively more supersonic . The linear velocity of
539-477: A replacement nozzle. John relents when Elsie, fed up with his lack of support for their son, threatens to leave him. With the town's support and replacement parts sent to Indianapolis , the boys win the top prize and Homer is bombarded with college scholarship offers. He returns to Coalwood as a hero and visits Miss Riley, who is dying of Hodgkin lymphoma . Preparing for the launch of their largest rocket yet, Homer asks his father to come and tells him that Von Braun
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#1732783880748588-1009: Is a New York City native of Puerto Rican descent while Selena was Mexican American . Because the figures portrayed are actual people, whose actions and characteristics are known to the public (or at least historically documented), biopic roles are considered some of the most demanding of actors and actresses. Warren Beatty , Faye Dunaway , Ben Kingsley , Johnny Depp , Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , Robert Downey Jr. , Brad Pitt , Emma Thompson , Tom Hanks , Eddie Redmayne , and Cillian Murphy all gained new-found respect as dramatic actors after starring in biopics: Beatty and Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982), Depp as Ed Wood in Ed Wood (1994), Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on
637-757: Is a tube which is pinched in the middle, making a carefully balanced, asymmetric hourglass shape. It is used to accelerate a compressible fluid to supersonic speeds in the axial (thrust) direction, by converting the thermal energy of the flow into kinetic energy . De Laval nozzles are widely used in some types of steam turbines and rocket engine nozzles . It also sees use in supersonic jet engines . Similar flow properties have been applied to jet streams within astrophysics . Giovanni Battista Venturi designed converging-diverging tubes known as Venturi tubes for experiments on fluid pressure reduction effects when fluid flows through chokes ( Venturi effect ). German engineer and inventor Ernst Körting supposedly switched to
686-416: Is an anagram of Rocket Boys , the title of the 1998 memoir upon which the film is based. It is also used in a period radio broadcast describing Sputnik 1 as it crossed the "October Sky". Homer Hickam said that "Universal Studios marketing people got involved and they just had to change the title because, according to their research, women over thirty would never see a movie titled Rocket Boys ." The book
735-403: Is at its minimum, the gas velocity locally becomes sonic (Mach number = 1.0), a condition called choked flow . As the nozzle cross-sectional area increases, the gas begins to expand, and the flow increases to supersonic velocities, where a sound wave will not propagate backward through the gas as viewed in the frame of reference of the nozzle ( Mach number > 1.0). As the gas exits the throat,
784-431: Is brilliant but is not his hero—implying John is his true idol. At the launch of their rocket, named for Miss Riley, almost all of Coalwood turns out to watch. John is given the honor of pushing the launch button. The Miss Riley reaches an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m) – higher than the summit of Mount Everest . As the town looks to the skies, John puts his hand on Homer's shoulder and smiles, showing Homer that he
833-417: Is consistent with above typical values. Technical literature often interchanges without note the universal gas law constant R , which applies to any ideal gas , with the gas law constant R s , which applies only to a specific individual gas of molar mass M . The relationship between the two constants is R s = R/M . In accordance with conservation of mass the mass flow rate of the gas throughout
882-496: Is proud of him. An epilogue reveals the real-life outcomes of the main characters' lives, noting that Miss Riley died, the mine closed, and all four Rocket Boys went to college, going on to successful careers, with Homer working at NASA . Filming began on February 23, 1998, almost a year before the film's release. Although it takes place in West Virginia, Tennessee was the location of choice for filming in part because of
931-653: The Humanitas Prize 1999 for Featured Film Category. The movie was praised for its portrayal of 1950s Appalachia despite several major and minor differences from the book on which it is based. There are two annual festivals in honor of the Rocket Boys and the film. One is held in West Virginia where the real-life events depicted in the book and film took place, and the other is in Tennessee where
980-794: The Moon (1999), Downey as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992) and as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer (2023), Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004), Thompson and Hanks as P. L. Travers and Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), and Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer (2023). Some biopics purposely stretch
1029-458: The above equation, assume that the propellant combustion gases are: at an absolute pressure entering the nozzle p = 7.0 MPa and exit the rocket exhaust at an absolute pressure p e = 0.1 MPa; at an absolute temperature of T = 3500 K; with an isentropic expansion factor γ = 1.22 and a molar mass M = 22 kg/kmol. Using those values in the above equation yields an exhaust velocity v e = 2802 m/s, or 2.80 km/s, which
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#17327838807481078-426: The best elements of the movie is in breaking free, he is respecting his father. This movie has deep values." James Wall of The Christian Century described the film's concentration on the father-son relationship as "at times painful to watch. There are no winners or losers when sons go their separate ways. October Sky does not illustrate good parenting; rather, it evokes the realization that since parents have only
1127-413: The different properties of gases flowing at subsonic , sonic , and supersonic speeds. The speed of a subsonic flow of gas will increase if the pipe carrying it narrows because the mass flow rate is constant. The gas flow through a de Laval nozzle is isentropic (gas entropy is nearly constant). In a subsonic flow, sound will propagate through the gas. At the "throat", where the cross-sectional area
1176-400: The exiting exhaust gases can be calculated using the following equation: Some typical values of the exhaust gas velocity v e for rocket engines burning various propellants are: As a note of interest, v e is sometimes referred to as the ideal exhaust gas velocity because it is based on the assumption that the exhaust gas behaves as an ideal gas. As an example calculation using
1225-447: The film a grade "A" on scale of A to F. Many critics commended the film for its focus on family values and inspirational aspects, particularly the main character's relationship with his father and the actors' performances. Roger Ebert , who gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, recognized that the film "doesn't simplify the father into a bad guy or a tyrant. He understandably wants his son to follow in his footsteps, and one of
1274-409: The film a much more interesting and varied look." For the underground scenes, the crews also recreated a mine, with Johnston expressing that the mine took on a "villainous" appearance in the film, which felt ironic given its position as the town’s source of livelihood. More than 2,000 extras were used in the film. A small switching yard allowed the filmmakers and actors to film the scenes with the boys on
1323-435: The film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.6/10. The critic's consensus states: "Rich in sweet sincerity, intelligence, and good old-fashioned inspirational drama, October Sky is a coming-of-age story with a heart to match its Hollywood craftsmanship." Metacritic gave the film a score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave
1372-412: The house, vowing never to return. At the National Science Fair, Homer's display is well-received. Overnight, someone steals his machined rocket part model – the de Laval nozzle – and his autographed picture of Dr. Wernher von Braun . Homer makes an urgent phone call home to his mother Elsie, who implores John to end the strike so that Mr. Bolden, Bykovsky's replacement, can use the machine shop to build
1421-404: The increase in area allows it to undergo a Joule–Thomson expansion , wherein the gas expands at supersonic speeds from high to low pressure, pushing the velocity of the mass flow beyond sonic speed. When comparing the general geometric shape of the nozzle between the rocket and the jet engine, it looks different only at first glance, when in fact is about the same essential facts are noticeable on
1470-401: The mine and provide for his family while his father recovers. Homer is inspired by Miss Riley to read a book on applied rocket science, learning to calculate the trajectory of a rocket. Using this, he and Quentin locate their missing rocket and prove it could not have caused the fire. The boys present their findings to Miss Riley and the school principal, Mr. Turner, who determines the cause was
1519-428: The mine's machine shop manager, Ike Bykovsky, who is punished by John for helping the boys and sent to work in the mine. The rocket launches begin attracting townsfolk. However, the boys abandon rocketry after they are accused by the police of starting a wildfire with a stray rocket and are arrested. In a mining accident , John is injured and Bykovsky is killed, devastating Homer. He drops out of high school to work in
October Sky - Misplaced Pages Continue
1568-484: The movie was actually shot. The Rocket Boys often visit the festival in West Virginia, which is also called the "Rocket Boys Festival", while the festival in Tennessee focuses more on the filming locations. The Tennessee festival's site claims that the festival is "a celebration of our heritage." Jeff Bezos , the billionaire founder of Amazon , saw a screening of October Sky in 1999. In a subsequent conversation with
1617-679: The nozzle is the same regardless of the cross-sectional area. m ˙ = A p t T t ⋅ γ M R ⋅ M a ⋅ ( 1 + γ − 1 2 M a 2 ) − γ + 1 2 ( γ − 1 ) {\displaystyle {\dot {m}}={\frac {Ap_{t}}{\sqrt {T_{t}}}}\cdot {\sqrt {\frac {\gamma M}{R}}}\cdot \mathrm {Ma} \cdot (1+{\frac {\gamma -1}{2}}\mathrm {Ma} ^{2})^{-{\frac {\gamma +1}{2(\gamma -1)}}}} When
1666-410: The nozzle, forming an unstable jet that may "flop" around within the nozzle, producing a lateral thrust and possibly damaging it. In practice, ambient pressure must be no higher than roughly 2–3 times the pressure in the supersonic gas at the exit for supersonic flow to leave the nozzle. The analysis of gas flow through de Laval nozzles involves a number of concepts and assumptions: As the gas enters
1715-439: The nozzle, where the flow accelerates. A de Laval nozzle will choke at the throat only if the pressure and mass flow through the nozzle is sufficient to reach sonic speeds; otherwise no supersonic flow is achieved, and it will act as a Venturi tube . This requires the entry pressure to the nozzle to be significantly above ambient at all times (equivalently, the stagnation pressure of the jet must be above ambient). In addition,
1764-408: The pressure of the gas at the exit of the expansion portion of the exhaust of a nozzle must not be too low. Because pressure cannot travel upstream through the supersonic flow, the exit pressure can be significantly below the ambient pressure into which it exhausts, but if it is too far below ambient, then the flow will cease to be supersonic , or the flow will separate within the expansion portion of
1813-423: The railroad and gave the freedom to do as they pleased, including the tearing apart of tracks. The locomotive used in the scene was Southern Railway 4501 , re-lettered as Norfolk and Western No. 4501. Filming concluded on April 30, 1998. The film's star, Jake Gyllenhaal , was 17 years old during filming, the same age as Homer Hickam 's character. In an interview in 2014, Natalie Canerday recalled that Gyllenhaal
1862-401: The same geometric cross-sections – that the combustion chamber in the jet engine must have the same "throat" (narrowing) in the direction of the outlet of the gas jet, so that the turbine wheel of the first stage of the jet turbine is always positioned immediately behind that narrowing, while any on the further stages of the turbine are located at the larger outlet cross-section of
1911-526: The science fiction writer Neal Stephenson , Bezos commented that he had always wanted to start a space company. Stephenson urged him to do so. Bezos then started the private aerospace manufacturing and services company Blue Origin , and Stephenson became one of the company's early employees. The author of Rocket Boys claimed that the Star Trek Enterprise episode " Carbon Creek " was based on October Sky , and there are obvious references to
1960-745: The story in the episode. Biographical film Biopic scholars include George F. Custen of the College of Staten Island and Dennis P. Bingham of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis . Custen, in Bio/Pics: How Hollywood Constructed Public History (1992), regards the genre as having died with the Hollywood studio era , and in particular, Darryl F. Zanuck . On the other hand, Bingham's 2010 study Whose Lives Are They Anyway? The Biopic as Contemporary Film Genre shows how it perpetuates as
2009-400: The support of friends Roy Lee Cooke and Sherman O'Dell, and their science teacher Freida J. Riley , they construct small rockets. When one of their rockets lands near John's office and nearly injures some workers, John reprimands Homer not to build rockets on his property again. The boys hike to the edge of the coal company's property, where they succeed with the help of the townsfolk, including
October Sky - Misplaced Pages Continue
2058-603: The throat is at sonic speed Ma = 1 where the equation simplifies to: m ˙ = A p t T t ⋅ γ M R ⋅ ( γ + 1 2 ) − γ + 1 2 ( γ − 1 ) {\displaystyle {\dot {m}}={\frac {Ap_{t}}{\sqrt {T_{t}}}}\cdot {\sqrt {\frac {\gamma M}{R}}}\cdot ({\frac {\gamma +1}{2}})^{-{\frac {\gamma +1}{2(\gamma -1)}}}} By Newton's third law of motion
2107-472: The truth about a man from the film of his life might as well seek it from his loving grandmother. ... The Hurricane is not a documentary but a parable ." Casting can be controversial for biographical films. Casting is often a balance between similarity in looks and ability to portray the characteristics of the person. Anthony Hopkins felt that he should not have played Richard Nixon in Nixon because of
2156-474: The truth. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was based on game show host Chuck Barris ' widely debunked yet popular memoir of the same name, in which he claimed to be a CIA agent. Kafka incorporated both the life of author Franz Kafka and the surreal aspects of his fiction. The Errol Flynn film They Died with Their Boots On tells the story of Custer but is highly romanticized. The Oliver Stone film The Doors , mainly about Jim Morrison ,
2205-473: The weather and area terrain. Film crews reconstructed the sites to look like the 1957 mining town setting the movie demanded. The weather in East Tennessee gave the filmmakers trouble and delayed the production of the film. Cast and crew recalled the major weather shifts and tornadoes in the area during the filming months, but Joe Johnston claimed, "Ultimately, the movie looks great because of it. It gave
2254-780: Was a member of the Nazi party and the Allgemeine SS . In addition, the ballistic weapons that he developed for the Nazi regime were largely constructed by concentration camp prisoners who faced inhumane conditions, with many dying due to their brutal imprisonment. October Sky won three awards, including: the OCIC Award for Joe Johnston at the Ajijic International Film Festival 1999, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Family Film in 2000, and
2303-1103: Was highly praised for the similarities between Jim Morrison and actor Val Kilmer , look-wise and singing-wise, but fans and band members did not like the way Val Kilmer portrayed Jim Morrison, and a few of the scenes were even completely made up. In rare cases, sometimes called auto biopics , the subject of the film plays themself. Examples include Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Muhammad Ali in The Greatest (1977), Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back (1955), Patty Duke in Call Me Anna (1990), Bob Mathias in The Bob Mathias Story (1954), Arlo Guthrie in Alice's Restaurant (1969), Fantasia in Life Is Not
2352-628: Was later re-released with the name in order to capitalize on interest in the film. In October 1957, news of the Soviet Union 's launch of Sputnik 1 reaches Homer Hickam in the mining community of Coalwood, West Virginia , who is inspired to build his own rockets despite the skepticism of his friends and family, especially his father; John Hickam, who strictly wanted Homer to work in the mines. Homer teams up with math geek Quentin Wilson , who shares an interest in aerospace engineering ; with
2401-445: Was tutored on set because he was still in school and taking advanced classes. October Sky opened on February 19, 1999, in 1,495 theaters and had an opening weekend gross of $ 5,905,250. At its widest theater release, 1,702 theaters were showing the film. It had a total lifetime gross of $ 34,675,800 worldwide. October Sky received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% out of 74 critics gave
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