In 1957, the world got smaller. Even a boy from remote West Virginia could look up and see Sputnik orbiting overhead, and realize that everyone else in the world could see it too.

That sight inspired Homer Hickam (played by Jake Gyllenhaal). Hickam is now a NASA engineer who wrote an autobiography, "Rocket Boys," on which the movie is based.

Homer decided he wanted to learn how to build rockets. He was born in Coalwood, W. Va., and as the name implies, coal was the main industry. Most men ended up working in coal mines, except for a lucky few, like Homer's brother, who won football scholarships. Homer's father, John (Chris Cooper) was a foreman at the mine, and it was his life's work.  He expected Homer to follow in his footsteps. Homer and his three friends began to build and fire rockets. They surmounted many difficulties and got parts and supplies wherever they could. Many of their rockets exploded. Their project was in serious jeopardy when one of their rockets was blamed for a fire, and the boys were arrested.

They were inspired by a teacher, Miss Riley (Laura Dern). Miss Riley tried to inspire Homer to continue: "My life's work is teaching. I believed that if you boys won that science fair, got scholarships, went off and did something great with your lives, somehow my life would have counted for something. Homer, you know what, sometimes you really can't listen to what anyone else says, you just got to listen inside."

This movie illustrates the family problems associated with breaking tradition. It is remarkable to remember that, only a few decades ago, it was commonly accepted that boys would be in the same occupation as their fathers, generation after generation.  Recently, it seems increasingly unusual for even one person, for one generation, to keep the same occupation for a working lifetime. It is also unusual for sons to be apprenticed by their fathers. The final implications of this social change are probably yet to be seen.

This 1999 movie is rated PG and is available on video.