there are a lot of things differnet about the movie "october sky" compared to the novel. Joe Johnston toook out several of the important parts of the book he also put things into the movie that never really happened in the book all the chartcters weren't in the movie these little things added up and changed the whole story line in a way.
sonny would have never went into the min in the book because his mom wouldnt let him,but in the movie she just let him go
as most directors he captured the emotional and dramatic content of the book which is a good thing otherwise it wouldnt be called october sky now would it?
like the relationship betweensonny and his farther there is just so much feeling and hurt between them two in the movie and the novel sonny's love for dorthey had changed though from the book to the movie,sonny liked her in the book but in the movie he seemed as if he didnt want to be with her so most of the emotion was in the movie but not all that was in the book.but joe johnston put in a lot of the key points in the movie
even though the director took out alot of stuff it was still a good movie it did resemble the book that is what makes the movie differnet from the book changeing the little hings and outting your ideas in thats where it becomes a movie not a documentry