Hey, friends!
Have you ever had someone tell you to watch a film again and again but it's months before you get around to it? Ever since December my dad had been trying to get me to watch Phenomenon (1996) but I was hesitant because I'm not a big John Travolta fan. We finally sat down to watch it at the end April and I now have to say that I take it back about not liking John Travolta. One could say that that is a rare occurrence, or more aptly, a phenomenon.
A note about spoilers: This review is spoiler-free as I will not talk about the ending of the movie. I'll be talking about the characters and their dynamics but not what happens to them so feel free to read without fear of the secrets being spoiled.
Phenomenon (1996)
Premise: George Malley is living his simple small-town life working as a mechanic and dealing with everyday problems like how a rabbit keeps getting into his garden. On his birthday, George sees a bright light in the sky that knocks him to the ground and changes him. He has more ideas, more concentration, and can move things with his mind. While pursuing inventions and knowledge he also aspires to a relationship with Lace and her two kids, but Lace doesn't trust easily already so George is not sure he should reveal his powers to her. When people find out what he can do, will their reaction give him fame or fear?
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| Looking for light...a spotlight, perhaps? |
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Fantasy.
Length: approx. 123 minutes.
Age Range: This film is rated PG. There is one scene that is more on the sensual side, but I think it would go over the heads for most kids so it would probably be fine for them to watch. Two of the characters are kids so there are roles for which the whole family can relate.
Crew: Directed by: Jon Turteltaub. Produced by: Barbara Boyle, Michael Taylor, and Charles Newirth. Written by: Gerald Di Pego. Music by: Thomas Newman.
Starring: John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Jeffrey DeMunn, Robert Duvall, Richard Kiley, Brent Spiner, Vyto Ruginis, and David Gallagher and Ashley Buccille as Al and Glory.
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| Hittin' the books. |
General thoughts:
I love a good story about a genius--be it A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Imitation Game (2014), or Sherlock (2010-2017)--but this film is unique in that it is not about national high stakes and problems to solve in a bustling city. Instead, it's just about a guy and the small town he lives in. The genius here is more of the quiet type, kind of like the main character in another film from that year, Matilda (1996).
George lives in the middle of nowhere. Due to that, the small-town vibe gives the film a comfortable atmosphere from the beginning, as the characters joke with people they have known their whole lives. This could easily be the set of Gilmore Girls or Groundhog Day (1993). Yet in this small town something extraordinary happens, and because the citizens have never experienced anything like this before they don't know how to react.
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| True small-town: where you can stand in the middle of the street with only a whole film crew behind you. |
This film is an examination of how people react to someone who is different. It's about what it means to be kind to people and take care of them when everyone else has abandoned them. George has had a good support system his whole life--from his friend Nate to his boss to the bartender--but this movie considers that maybe social isolation can be MORE severe in a small town, where you can't hide, when everyone you have known your whole life turns on you. Though the movie we see who George's true friends are: those with integrity, who don't treat George different from before he encountered the light.
My dad had a really good point that it's notable that the mystery of the light is maintained. Maybe it's aliens. Maybe it's a divine blessing. Maybe it's a metaphor for "seeing the light." Maybe it's zen or scientology or something else. Anyone watching can come up with their own explanation of what happened, that's outside the bounds of the story. Inside those bounds is what George does with it. The plot includes the external factor, but the story is about George.
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| All eyes on you. |
George is my favorite John Travolta role to date as he's sweet and kind and not trying to take credit/exploit his abilities, but just is excited about all the ideas he has. From his jokes to his genius, he reminds me of a friend of mine (he didn't take that as a compliment when I told him, but it was). George is good with animals and people, especially knowing how to have fun with kids and including them when no one else will.
And speaking of, Al and Glory are THE cutest kids EVER, oh my goodness. Al has big questions and big sensitivities and is trying to figure out life at all of 9 or 10 years old. Sometimes that means going with what the crowd, but his mom is quick to point out that kindness is more important than aligning with what everyone else believes.
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| Mirror, mirror, on the wall. |
Lace is very protective of her kids and her heart as she doesn't want either to get hurt again, and I thought George's relationship with Lace had a good pace (which is fun because it rhymes). As far as pacing for the rest of the film, I originally thought that the ending was dragging it out too long, that they could've ended it already, but I was wrong. Where they ended was perfect and full circle and it wrung a tear out of me at the very last shot.
The reason I hadn't cried before then was because I was too busy having a great time; the dialogue is quick but also subtle. For example, there's a part about language and from my brief experience with Portuguese, I knew that wasn't a literal translation which is intentional but never explicitly stated, and it made it all the funnier. I also enjoyed George's quick comebacks when he's being tested yet it's his heart that shines through.
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| Chair-ity? |
For the blogathon:
This review is my contribution to the Robert Duvall Tribute Blogathon, hosted by Rebecca at Taking Up Room. Mr. Duvall passed away earlier this year so this is Rebecca's way of celebrating his body of work!
One character and relationship with George that I didn't mention above is that of the doctor, played by Robert Duvall. This role was key as Doc believes George, he knows he can turn to George when in need, and he defends George when the whole town forgets that George is their friend.
Mr. Duvall's performance is consistently gentle and jocular, yet when he thinks morals are neglected he speaks out. He's a faithful friend to George and is unafraid of who knows it. He imparts wisdom to both his fellow townspeople and to the viewer. As a doctor his job is to take care of people, but he extends that beyond the physical. He's a character who will stay with me for some time.
And Doc plays chess, which will always win over a character for me.
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| E.T....phone home... |
Thanks to Rebecca for hosting this blogathon and giving me a chance to get some thoughts out on this movie! Thank you to all of you who decided to read those very thoughts! If you'd like some more content about Robert Duvall's career, make sure to check out the other entries in the blogathon HERE, HERE, and HERE.
What is your favorite role of John Travolta and Robert Duvall? Who are the cutest fictional kids that you've seen? How do you explain circumstances that aren't revealed in a plot? What would you do with powers?
I'll be back in a few days for another review, so until then, stay phenomenal yourselves.
Chloe the MovieCritic
