Quaid's buoyant earnestness complements the stunning, low-key performance by Caviezel, whose close-ups give new meaning to the idea that still waters run deep.
Frequency (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:25
Fresh:18
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: A tight blend of surprises and suspense keeps audiences spellbound.
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis:
For John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel), there is no question. He would undo the events of October 12, 1969, when the out-of-control Bruxton fire took the life of his father, a heroic firefighter. Ever...
For John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel), there is no question. He would undo the events of October 12, 1969, when the out-of-control Bruxton fire took the life of his father, a heroic firefighter. Ever since he was a kid, John has dreamed of being able to stop the tragedy of that fateful day, which set into motion the anger and loneliness that have haunted his adult life as a cop in the 1990s. Now John may get exactly what he wished for . . . and much more than he bargained for.
In the mind-bending thriller Frequency, director Gregory Hoblit (Primal Fear) presents a fresh and original take on time travel with the gripping human story of a father and a son who reach out to one another across parallel universes to stop a terrible crime. Science fiction, mystery and a poignant story of family connection blend together in a tale about the entwining of past, present and future.
One day before the anniversary of his fatherīs death, in the midst of the spectacular sky storm known as the aurora borealis, John Sullivan discovers in the house he inherited his fatherīs old ham radio and begins to play with it. Through the electrical static, he finds himself talking to a man who claims to be a firefighter and who appears to be awaiting the World Series of 1969. Is John really talking to his own living father on the very same day, in the very same house, but exactly three decades ago?
At first neither can believe it, but soon John is carrying on an all-night conversation with his young father (Dennis Quaid), sharing for the first time his deep love and regret over his future death. Yet John realizes that now he might be able to change all that. By alerting Frank to the mistake that cost him his life the first time around, John saves his youthful father from dying in the Bruxton fire.
On October 12, 1999, John Sullivan discovers that he now has photographs on his walls of his father as a gray-haired man. By changing the past, the Sullivans have forged a new present. John is ecstatic with his new memories of his father - until he discovers other things have been altered. Subtle changes caused by his fatherīs survival have led to a string of unsolved serial homicides, including the grisly murder of Johnīs mother. Now, Frank and John must race against the clock - divided by three decades and connected only by a radio - to prevent a murder that will seal their destinies. And each time Frank changes something in his universe, John wakes up to a whole new reality.
Based on the new science of multiverses, Frequency is about a father and son who just need time to set things right
Starring: Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel, Shawn Doyle, Elizabeth Mitchell
Starring: Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel, Shawn Doyle, Elizabeth Mitchell, Andre Braugher, Noah Emmerich
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Screenwriter: Toby Emmerich
Producer: Gregory Hoblit, Toby Emmerich, Bill Carraro, Howard W. "Hawk" Koch
Composer: Michael Kamen
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Reviews for Frequency
Why gripe about a few minor inconsistencies? Just relax and enjoy the show.
A fairly wonderful movie about fathers and sons and the mystery of time.
Movies sometimes end up looking like a head-on collision between opposing impulses. Frequency is that kind of movie.
The movie's whole concept is ludicrous, hard to accept even on its own contrived terms. But if you are willing to suspend disbelief, the film is enjoyable.
The time-travel thriller Frequency comes on like a sensitive-jock older brother to the cutely paranormal alt-destiny reveries Sliding Doors and Me Myself I.
Not only does the film benefit from that 'what if?' fascination of being able to change fate, but it allows Quaid and Caviezel to do some effective emotional button-pushing without pushing their luck.
There are story concepts so far-fetched that no movie can recover, no matter how finely acted or sincerely made, and Frequency is a prime example.
Good casting only takes us so far, and Frequency -- fun as it remains -- really doesn't have the chops to go the rest of the distance.
The only way this Twilight Zone-wannabe movie works is that if, after buying into the premise, you turn off your mind, suspending all rational thought processes.
Frequency may be the first time travel fantasy to move grown fellows with 401(k) accounts to tears.
My head says Frequency has a 31/2-star first half and 21/2-star second half, averaging out to three stars. But my heart says: Don't miss this one.
Corny and far-fetched it may be, but Frequency works -- except for some stretches when it doesn't.
Frequency submits itself for our approval as a solid thriller, if not necessarily a timeless one.
Has so little faith in its Twilight Zone-ish yarn that it resorts to a pulpy serial-killer subplot to juice the mumbo-jumbo.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
| 57% 57% | 9 |
| 44% 44% | Jennifer's Body |
| 58% 58% | A Perfect Getaway |
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