UT sophomore Brandon Carroll will make his Hollywood debut, cast as a student, in the soon to be released October Sky

Aspiring film student Brandon Carroll never expected to land on the big

screen while still a sophomore at UT, but at Tuesday night’s Southern

premiere of October Sky that is exactly where he was.

The event, held at Regal Cinemas’ West Town 9, brought 15 minutes of fame

to many East Tennesseans, including Carroll who plays a student in Miss

Reilly’s (Laura Dern) class.

“I hope this isn’t the last,” Carroll said of his brief taste of Hollywood,

which included eight days on the set where he got to spend time with Dern

and other members of the cast and crew, all of whom he loved.

October Sky, shot in and around Knoxville last spring, brings to life

the true story of Homer Hickam and his “Rocket Boys.” The unique

coming-of-age story, based on Hickam’s recently released memoirs Rocket

Boys, takes place in the 1950s in Coalwood, West Va. The film follows

the life of four teenage boys whose sci-fi fantasies propel them from a

predestined mining life.

Knoxville, Petros and Oliver Springs served as locale for the film. Many

invited to Tuesday’s event were those whose lives were touched by the cast

and crew who made East Tennessee their home last year.

Anxious fans teamed with excitement as Jake Gyllenhaal made his appearance during the October Skies premier Tuesday night.

Also in attendance was the real Homer Hickam and his “Rocket Boys,” Roy Lee

Cooke, Billy Rose, Quentin Wilson and Jim O’Dell Carroll.

“It’s added a bunch of spice to my life,” said Rose. “Who would have

thought people would be asking me for my autograph.”

The Hollywood-style premiere, complete with flashing cameras,

chocolate-covered strawberries and star-struck teenage girls, showcased the

film’s main character Jake Gyllenhaal, producer Charles Gordon, director

Joe Johnston and a handful of other actors.

When asked about his expectations of his latest project, Gordon said, “I’ve

got my fingers crossed.” And, as he made his way down the red carpet, the

producer whose credits include three of the Die Hard films and

Field of Dreams said to the guests, “Even though you’re here tonight,

go again and buy a ticket.”

After watching the parade and seeing brief interviews with the cast and

crew, guests were invited to view the film, which was shown on all nine

Regal screens. In the age of the $8 movie ticket, it isn’t often that

moviegoers get anything for free, but at Tuesday night’s premiere the

popcorn was handed out like candy, and soda flowed like wine.

Taking part in the festivities were some of the extras who managed to score

one of the coveted premier tickets and showed up in hopes to see themselves

on the screen.

“Everything was laid back but under control. Very professional,” said

Knoxville businessman Fred Weisgarber of his 14 hours on the film’s set.

Weisgarber, who was amazed at the mere 30 seconds of movie time that

resulted from the long days of filming his scene, could barely recognize

himself in the movie, but was still pleased with the end product.

“I was surprised at how well it turned out,” he said. “It pulled all the

right emotions.”

The movie was met with laughs and tears, and as moviegoers filed out of

the theaters they seemed wholly impressed with the film. Even the real Roy

Lee, whose actual footage of one of the rocket launches can be seen during

the credits, was truly satisfied with Hollywood’s rendition of his friend’s

story.

Jake Gyllanhaal, cast as Rocket Boy Homer Hickman, delivered a welcoming appearance at the October Sky premier Tuesday evening

“We think they did a good job with it. It kept a good pace and didn’t die

in the middle like so many movies do.”

Though it lacks all the ingredients of a Hollywood blockbuster — sex,

nudity and a multi-million dollar budget — the film’s universal appeal

makes it a shoo-in for success at the box office. Whether you live in a

mining town in the ’50s or a college town in the ’90s, October Sky

has the potential to stay with you long after you leave the theater and the

rockets’ glare fades.