Phenomenon (1996)

Phenomenon (1996)

7/10

 

Starring

John Travolta

Kyra Sedgwick

Forest Whitaker

Robert Duvall

Directed by Jon Turteltaub

Here’s a movie I totally forgot I loved when I saw it way back in 1996. Flipping through channels on TV, and there it is—Phenomenon, the fantastic Travolta film. Phenomenon’s genre falls into many categories: romance, drama, sci-fi, and fantasy.

The movie doesn’t follow the typical structure of most films in this range. When we think of movies that deal with superpowers in the present decade, we expect fantastic CGI and lots of action. This movie, however, focuses on the life of a rural man who doesn’t have much aspiration. Imagine such a person developing psychokinesis after being hit in the head by a ball of light from the sky. The movie has a fun cast, and it’s directed by long-time Disney collaborator Jon Turteltaub, although it was made under Disney’s Touchstone banner.

George (Travolta) is an average guy. He’s a mechanic in a small town in California, and on this memorable day, we find him drunk, celebrating his birthday at the local bar. He steps outside for a bit, and we see a light come down fast and hit him, knocking him out. That single incident changes his life forever. He starts to get new ideas and becomes psychokinetic. He also becomes a genius, suffering from insomnia, unable to sleep, and always reading. His constant reading leads him to come up with new ideas, learn new languages, move objects with his mind, and crack secret government codes.

George has a thing for a lady in his town, Lace (Kyra Sedgwick), a single mom with two children. He does everything he can to get close to her, which works initially, until he discovers that an earthquake is going to happen. He makes the necessary calls to warn the officials but is dismissed. When the earthquake does happen, everyone comes looking for him. Soon, the government discovers that he cracked their code, and he’s arrested. George’s new powers don’t help him much with the people of his town, as they see him as a freak.

The movie soon shifts from a gentle drama to something more chaotic and sad, as George’s world turns upside down.

The movie was a big financial hit, and Travolta’s acting is worth seeing. He was fantastic in the film, and so were the supporting cast. It’s a pity that movies like this aren’t made anymore—everyone seems so focused on movies with the same Marvel or DC feel.