Phenomenon | | Cast : | John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick | | Director : | Jon Turteltaub | | Studio : | Buena Vista | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 03, 1996 | | DVD Released Date : | February 04, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | April 03, 2005 | | Summary | Surprisingly good! | Content
 | I came to this film with low expectations, seeing as how it only has a 53% positive RottenTomatoes.com rating and a lot of critics panned it as being corny and sentimental.
Actually this is a very good film, largely carried by the strong cast of John Travolta, Kyra Sedgewick, Forest Whitaker and Robert Duvall. Yes there are a few corny moments especially towards the end but they were forgivably brief not tediously drawn out, compared to your typical Hollywood tearjerker which this is not. I won't give away the ending except to say that it is not one of your dime a dozen and-they-lived-happily-ever-after things.
"Phenomenon" actually has a lot of Eastern philosophy behind it---the idea that we are all connected at a deep cosmic and psychical level which most of us never imagine nor dare to access, as well as the New Ageish belief that we only use about 10% of our brains' full capabilities.
Travolta is known to be a Scientologist, which made me wonder a little how much that might have influenced this film which is nowhere near as kooky as your standard Scientology doctrine which you can get from L. Ron Hubbard's infamous (science fiction) book, "Dianetics." |
| Rating | | | Date | March 23, 2005 | | Summary | Down to earth | Content
| Confusion. Nauseating. Touching. Homey. Four words I'd use to describe the movie known as "Phenomenon", one that I watched yesturday during my psychology class. Why the confusion, why the nausea? Perhaps because I wasn't expecting this movie...I didn't even know what it was called. But aside from that, and aside from looking at a scientific explanation, this movie exceeds on most standards. What fooled me at the beginning surprised me near the end; towards the beginning I was feeling almost stupid watching this because there was no scientific explanation for what was happening. A man sees a bright light and the next day wakes up a genius. He seems oblivious to wanting to know why this happens to him but instead choses to go with the flow and, after sensing the beginnings of an earth quake, seems at a loss and seeks for answers to his newly developed questions when all begins to go downhill.
I won't go into too much detail about what happens next but for the most part of the movie, I was in a state of confusion. Why was Travolta feeling like this? What happened to him? And most importantly, why doesn't he seem concerned when everybody else in his know-all town is? I think that, coupled with the small-town feeling (which makes me feel nauseas at times) and the irritating music made me feel out of the loop while everybody else around me was oohing and awing over Travolta's performence.
Towards the end, I was feeling a little bit more reassured. There are some touching scenes but Travolta's great performence more than makes up for the confusion surrounding his diagnosis. His love interest (who's name I cannot recall at the moment) does an outstanding performence as a torn bystander who doesn't know what else to do but simply watch her friend break apart day by day. Altough Travolta's diagnosis is truly devastating, it's wonderful to watch how he deals with it...and I think that's where this movie excels, the point it's trying to make and the point I missed entirely (perhaps because I was expecting more of a scientifically visioned film). This movie isn't about psychology or about earning 200 IQ points over night - it's about being the outcast, being the scum of society, being the freak of nature...and learning how to deal with it.
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| Rating | | | Date | January 14, 2005 | | Summary | *Not a thriller!* Quiet, touching, thought-provoking. | Content
| Who would have imagined that John Travolta could do a Jimmy Stewart impression? At times though, I felt a strong resemblance - especially with the gentle, bemused Stewart of "Mr Smith goes to Washington" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance". Even the name "George Malley" fits, and the two birthday parties held under very different circumstances.
The challenge of imagining what it would be like to be hyper-intelligent has defeated a lot of writers. How could we know, after all? How could a chimp grasp the thoughts that go through the average human mind? This movie does quite a good job of handling this problem, but it really zooms in on the difficulty of finding a role in life when all your friends look at you in awe (or downright fear) and even the government sees you as a security risk.
It's not very exciting, but it is emotional and thought-provoking. And surprisingly funny, in an unassuming way. A great way to spend a quiet, reflective evening that will give you plenty of food for thought. Probably best avoided by Quentin Tarantino fans, though. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 26, 2004 | | Summary | 4.6 stars | Content
| John Travolta plays an ordinary guy living in a rural small-town setting. Everybody likes him, although he is not particularly talented or successful. Then, right after his thirty-seventh birthday party, he is walking around outside, and sees a bright light in the sky, that knocks him out. When he recovers, he gradually realizes that he has changed markedly. His intelligence, creativity, and awareness have doubled, or more.
So, what does he do with all these new-found abilities? He is overwhelmed at times, he frightens people at times, he becomes a hero at times, and he pursues his love-interest, Kyra Sedgwick. Oh, as usual, some government agency wants to lock him up somewhere to study him. All he wants to do is to try to be happy and helpful, but will the world allow him that?
I am not usually a big Travolta fan, as he has played the smart-alecky egotistical know-it-all so often that I have come to think of him that way. He is entirely different here, and comes off as honest, charming, sincere, and down-to-Earth. He actually reminds me of Mel Gibson here, whereas he usually reminds me more of Tom Cruise. Kyra Sedgwick also plays her part very well, as the once-burned-quadruply-cautious woman who does not want to fall in love again and just wants to keep life simple . . . but can't quite resist Travolta's charm. Robert Duvall is wonderful as the town doctor who has semi-adopted Travolta and works to help him seek happiness despite the changes in his life. The young actor and actress who play Sedgwick's children are perfect in their roles.
The movie is a bit reminiscent of "Flowers for Algernon" and slightly reminiscent of "Little Man Tate" in some of its themes. It even has a little of "Starman" in it. In the end, though, it is original enough, and done well enough, to be very enjoyable. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 01, 2004 | | Summary | Underrated, moving film | Content
| Phenomeonon was advertised as a sci-fi movie, and whilke it has a sci-fi sort of theme at its core, anyone going to see the movie based on that was sorely disappointed. What this movie is, actually, is a story about a man learning to cope with something that he can't understand, and how it brings him closer to his friends and his community, and how it allows him to understand and deal with his own fate. Yes, it's a bit sappy at times, but it also contains some really excellent performances. Travolta delivers what it certainly his most authentic and touching portrayal of a real human being yet seen in his post-Tarantino career. Forrest Whittaker and Robert Duvall likewise contribute first-rate performances. A wonderful contemporary soundtrack ties it all together. |
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