Set against the grim backdrop of a dying coal town are the soaring rockets these boys build that will one day be their escape. October Sky is based on a true story. The other three boys made it in their chosen professions. The movie is an inspiring metaphor about man's desire to reach beyond himself, not in a humanistic form of self-transcendence but in the realization that we share the creative drive that is a reflection of God's character. Only man longs for the heavens, because heaven is ultimately his home.
Creativeness grows out of the Christian worldview.
The people from the town who come out to the launching site to see the Rocket Boys fire their missiles, transcend the mundane world of Coalwood. They are looking up, following the rocket through the clouds, hoping and praying for something better for their children. For a moment, they too escape Coalwood. Transcendence is a common theme in movies. It's especially evident in October Sky .