MovieChat Forums > October Sky (1999) Discussion > Limp?

Limp?

posted 16 years ago by xSingIntoMyMouthx
6 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone else notice that O'Dell has a limp throughout the movie? Why is this? I've seen this movie too many times to count and I just noticed it (powers of observation FTW). Any help would be great, thanks!

[–] jwhawk87 16 years ago

haha. i got on here to find out the same thing. i never noticed this until i watched it today.

[–] xSingIntoMyMouthx 16 years ago

I seriously felt so stupid. I saw this as a kid when it came out in theatres and have seen it, like, a BILLION times since and I was like WHAT? IS THIS NEW?

[–] jgroub 16 years ago

Sorry, I came here to ask the exact same question.

I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] oregon-5 16 years ago

This is what I found off Wikipedia. I knew some of it already from the book.
Sherman O'Dell from the move is based on 2 boys: Odell Caroll and Sherman Siers. Sherman had polio
in his left leg, so that's where the limp came from.

[–] jgroub 16 years ago

Thanks.

I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] neighturboy 16 years ago

Homer Hickam explains this in his Feature Commentary on the Special Edition DVD, released in 2005. The movie O'Dell is a composite of two original rocket boys, since there were originally more than four.