By CHARLES OWENS
It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since the motion picture “October Sky” made its box-office launch.
It’s even harder to believe that it has been more than 20 years since the movie “Dirty Dancing” was filmed right here in our own backyard. I had to confess to a caller last week that I was still in high school back in 1987 when “Dirty Dancing” was filmed at Mountain Lake Hotel in Giles County. The caller apparently assumed I was working at the newspaper back in 1987. I didn’t come on board at the Daily Telegraph until about the time “Lassie” was filmed down in Tazewell County.
All of the renewed interest in “Dirty Dancing” has surfaced as a result of the untimely death of actor Patrick Swayze, who lost a long battle with pancreatic cancer last week. To say that “Dirty Dancing” was a cult classic of modern cinema — as I have stated in two previous articles — might be a little bit of an understatement. To give the movie its full due, “Dirty Dancing” is actually a beloved film among the masses. It also sold tons and tons of VHS copies. That was back before we had DVDs. I know there are many women — and some guys for that matter — who can watch this movie over and over and over. For many, it’s all about the great music and dancing.
While “October Sky” didn’t launch with a killer soundtrack back in 1999, it too went on to become a timeless classic. The inspirational movie is still played in classrooms across America. It was even playing on television again — I can’t remember what channel — just two weeks ago.
Last week, I had a chance to interview actress Natalie Canerday who portrayed Homer Hickam’s mother Elsie in the 1999 motion picture “October Sky.” Canerday, who first gained fame starring alongside Billy Bob Thornton in “Sling Blade,” has also appeared in a number of other movies and films, including “Biloxi Blues,” “Walk the Line” and “Shotgun Stories.” She even did the voice acting for a character for an episode of “King of the Hill.”
I wasn’t sure when to call her due to the time difference between the East Coast and West Coast. (I later found out she actually lives in Arkansas). A publicist for Homer Hickam provided me Canerday’s cell phone number, and told me to “go ahead” and call her. But I wondered when would be the best time to call due to the time zone difference.
Before realizing Canerday was on Central time instead of Pacific, Copy Editor Amy Persinger — who has one of those new high tech cell phones that does everything short of controlling the weather — punched in a few numbers, and told me it would be best to wait until afternoon before calling. I was going to call around 11 a.m., but Amy warned me it might be 8 a.m. in the morning for Canerday. I took Amy’s advice — figuring it wouldn’t be a good idea to get a Hollywood actress out of bed.
I ended up getting her voice mail when I called. So I left a polite and professional message with the hope that she would call me back. Within about two hours, she did. I was surprised by how friendly and down to earth Canerday was. She seemed genuinely excited about getting to come to the “real Coalwood” on Oct. 3 for the annual “October Sky Festival,” and joked about how it rained almost every day during the filming of “October Sky” in Petros, Tenn., which was the community selected by Universal Studios to serve as the faux Coalwood for the movie.
Canerday told me it rained every night on the set except for the one evening when the script called for rain — when a pivotal mine explosion scene was to be filmed. She said the locals up in Tennessee got a good laugh when the studio had to bring in a rain machine, and questioned why the movie studio didn’t film the mine explosion scene on a night when it actually rained. A two-month movie shoot turned into a five-month movie shoot in Petros — mainly because of the rain, Canerday said.
She talked of being a bit of a history buff, and someone who enjoys real stories. Canerday seemed truly excited about the chance to visit the real Coalwood, and even joked that she would probably be “the most excited person” at the festival.
I’m glad she’ll have a chance to appear at this year’s October Sky Festival. The festival coordinators have been trying to get her down to the real Coalwood for about two years now, but due to scheduling conflicts, she hasn’t been able to attend until this year.
Her visit brings another touch of Hollywood to the tiny community of Coalwood. She’ll be joined by Homer Hickam, and fellow Rocket Boys Roy Lee Cooke, Billy Rose and O’Dell Carroll. Dreama Denver, the wife of the late “Gilligan’s Island” star Bob Denver, also will be returning this year. As in year’s past, students from across the country will converge upon Cape Coalwood on Oct. 3 to participate in rocket launches. A NASA team with a moon rock exhibit also will be on hand to help complete the perfect “October Sky” setting.
Just as the legacy of “Dirty Dancing” lives on at Mountain Lake, the legacy of “October Sky” and the Rocket Boys of McDowell County also continues to live on in Coalwood.
Charles Owens is the Daily Telegraph’s city editor. Cotnact him at cowens@bdtonline.com.
