Your father always has to be the big hero. I swear if he dies I won’t shed a tear.

More from October Sky

• No. Coal mining may be your life, but it's not mine. I'm never going down there again. I wanna go into space.
• O’Dell: That’s a good idea. Four unidentifiable high school students lost their lives early this morning when their toy rocket exploded.
• I don’t know why they’d drop a bomb on this place, be a heck of a waste of a bomb.
• Prodigenous!
• I don't drink anymore... I don't drink any less, either!
• I like Mass better in Latin. It’s nicer when you don’t know what they’re saying.