I was already sick of October Sky shortly after it came out on video. The movie didn't do much business during its theatrical run, but word of mouth turned it into a sleeper hit. But that's not why I was sick of it. I was sick of it because, at the time, I was doing a lot of substitute teaching, and on at least three different occasions in a month's time, I filled in for science teachers who had me show this goddamn movie to every one of their classes. I sat through October Sky an ungodly 15 times in less than a month. Don't get me wrong...it's a terrific film, one of the best true family pictures of the past 20 years, but there hasn't been a movie ever made worth sitting through that many times in such short succession. Against my will, I've committed whole scenes of dialogue to memory, and even now, I could spew back whole sections of the movie verbatim. When this special edition was passed on to me for review, I swallowed hard, beat down the Vietnam-like flashbacks of substitute teaching at various middle schools, and vowed to revisit the film yet again with an open mind, desperately trying to pretend I was watching it for the first time. For the most part, I succeeded. While it may not have been a box-office hit, it was a huge seller on DVD, and so the real question is whether or not this special edition, with some added bonus features, is worth investing in. If it's just the film you love, I'd have to say no. But if you're dying to know more about the people who inspired it, my answer is a resounding yes.

"By now, just about everyone is familiar with the true story of Homer Hickam (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), a high school kid from a West Virginia coal-mining town who's inspired by the launch of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik. With the help of three friends, he vows to build and launch a rocket of his own, much to the consternation of his father (Chris Cooper), the head mining engineer who thinks it's a frivolous waste of time; he'd rather see Homer play football or work alongside him in the coal mines. Both options depress the hell out of Homer, who eventually sees his rocket-building venture as a means to earn a college scholarship and escape the confines of this dying town. His science teacher, Miss Riley (Laura Dern), is very supportive, but initially disastrous launch attempts (including an incident in which the boys are accused of starting a forest fire with one of their rockets) only serve to alienate Homer from his dad. Homer doesn't quit, though, using every means possible to improve the design of his rockets to the point where he's invited to enter a science fair, where the prize is a college scholarship. Even though I'd seen the movie a jillion times already, the story still managed to suck me in, mainly because of its appropriately low-key tone, great ensemble cast, and attention to period detail (which I hadn't paid a ton of attention to before). The film does a great job conveying the atmosphere and mind-set of a dying 1957 factory town (not that I'm an expert or anything). It's one of those movies where it doesn't feel like a lot is happening until you're done watching, and then realize what a great story it really is. Director Joe Johnston delivers a terrific period piece of blue-collar Americana, all the more surprising when you consider his background is in effects-driven pictures like Jumanji and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Useless Trivia: The working title of this film was "Rocket Boys," which was the title of Homer Hickam's book on which it was based; if you ask me, it's a better title. "

The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, just like the 1999 DVD release, and the image is comparable, with little or no scratches or blemishes. This edition offers a little more in the audio department. In addition to the same 5.1 Dolby Surround rendering of the previous edition (in Spanish & French, too), this disc also features the film in 5.1 DTS Surround.

All of the extras on the original disc are offered in this edition, too, as well as two other significant supplements. The first is "Aiming High," an entertaining documentary which catches up with the original Rocket Boys, who reflect on the events chronicled in the film. The second is an audio commentary by Hickam himself, who offers a lot of anecdotes about his story, as well as the making of the movie itself. It's interesting to hear his comments about changes made in the script from his original book.

Okay, now I've sat through this movie an additional two times, meaning I can stick it on my shelf and ignore it for the next 20 years or so. For those who can't get enough of the true story behind the film, this disc is a must-have for the extras alone. As for those of you who don't yet own a copy, and have never subbed for a middle school science teacher, it's hard to go wrong with a movie like this.