GUEST: Homer Hickam

Link to Homer’s Website

Back in the car with the Rocket Boys, Principal Turner talks to Homer.

“Mr. Hickam,” says Turner, “report to my office as soon as we return to school.”

Homer looks at him, puzzled.

“You do intend to enter the county science fair, do you not?” asks Turner.

“Yes, sir, we do,” says Homer.

“If you intend to represent Big Creek,” replies Turner, “you’re going to have to be enrolled as a student at Big Creek.”

The boys in the back seat smile.

“Prodigenous!” says Roy Lee.

In the Hickam basement, the Rocket Boys are working on the science fair exhibit. They look at a de Laval nozzle in Homer’s rocketry book.

“Do you think you can draw well enough so Mr. Bolden could build it?” asks Homer.

“Yep. Let me see,” says Roy Lee. They pass the book to Roy Lee. “Yep,” he nods.

John Hickam walks down the stairs.

“Hey, Homer,” says John.

“Hi, Dad,” says Homer.

“What’s this stuff doin’ here?” asks John, looking at all the rocket equipment.

“Mister Hickam,” says Quentin, “We didn’t start the fire.”

“The troopers gave it back to us,” says O’Dell.

“It wasn’t even one of our rockets!” says Roy Lee.

“It was an aeronautical flare,” explains Quentin.

“Y’all go on home now,” says John.

“Yes, sir,” says Quentin. The boys march up the basement stairs.

In This Episode

• Jake Gyllenhall as Homer Hickam
• William Lee Scott as Roy Lee
• Chris Owen as Quentin
• Chad Lindberg as O'Dell
• Chris Cooper as John Hickam
• Chris Ellis as Principal Turner