i watched this film many times,but i found it especially inspiring this time...the whole journey of how he chase after his dream despite all the obstacles and surroundings...i mean he wants to go up when the town is based on coal-mining...i guess that's just his destiny...to get an inspiration like that after watching the rocket...i wish i could just have a destiny like his,i guess i havent discover mine...
shareThat was a time when America still valued rugged individualism and had not put many obstacles in the way of invention and entrepreneurism.
Today, that kid would be encouraged to become an 'Occupy' tool...
The thorn defends the rose, yet it is peaceful and does not seek conflict.
You are totally wrong. If you think so, you know nothing about 'calling' or passion. That kid would be doing exactly the same thing. I can tell you are not passionate about anything just by saying that. You are the tool thinking that the actual system is right. The whole world thiks is wrong but some conservatives thinks is perfect, of course is perfect for them, no accountability wtahsoever in the worst economical crisis in decades.
shareI guess you missed the whole part of the movie where if he didn't have his parents support (despite their giving him a hard time, they still supported him pursuing his dreams in their own peculiar sort of ways), nor if he didn't get the help he needed from many others in the town, he would have never had much success. So it's not completely about "rugged individualism". Besides, Homer wouldn't have accomplished much without the rest of the Rocket Boys—his friends. Although he was the one with vision and was the driving force of the group, without the collective decisions made by the group as a whole, he would have went nowhere with the rockets.
And I don't think inventiveness or entrepreneurship necessarily go hand-in-hand with "individualism". It's more about having crazy ideas, a grand vision for those ideas, and plenty of unconventional thinking and dreaming to concoct those ideas.
More importantly, the dreamers of the world had the practical helpers to help them realize those dreams.
Bell had Watson to help him.
The Wright Brothers sought help and guidance from Octave Chanute, as well as being inspired by his work and the work and ideas of others (Otto Lilienthal, Sir George Cayley, Samuel Langley, and perhaps even Leonardo da Vinci). They also had their handyman/mechanic, Charlie Taylor, who basically was a "Third Wright Brother" (sort of like a "Fifth Beatle"). Without his practical contributions, they may not have been the first. They may have never of had success without him, but that part of their story isn't a commonly known part of history.
Edison had a whole army of workers in Menlo Park trying to turn his dreams into reality.
And today's entrepreneurs, Jobs and Gates, had Wozniak and Allen.
And all of them had investors that were crazy enough to believe in their crazy vision.