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Movies / On DVD / Frequency
Frequency

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Frequency (2000)

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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 [More]

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

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Oct 31, 2000

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Reviews for Frequency

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
06/06/07
Lisa Alspector
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Why gripe about a few minor inconsistencies? Just relax and enjoy the show.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Louis B. Parks
Louis B. Parks
Houston Chronicle
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N/R

No review available.

comment Comment
11/06/02
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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A fairly wonderful movie about fathers and sons and the mystery of time.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/02
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
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Movies sometimes end up looking like a head-on collision between opposing impulses. Frequency is that kind of movie.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
03/19/02
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
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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.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Andy Seiler
Andy Seiler
USA Today
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A thriller that actually thrills.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News
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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.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dennis Lim
Dennis Lim
Village Voice
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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.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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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.

Full Review Source: Mr. Showbiz | comment Comment
01/01/00
F.X. Feeney
F.X. Feeney
Mr. Showbiz
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Gemma Files
Gemma Files
Film.com
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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.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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A touching thriller.

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jeff Giles
Jeff Giles
Newsweek
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Frequency takes a standard sci-fi stratagem and runs with it.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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Frequency may be the first time travel fantasy to move grown fellows with 401(k) accounts to tears.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
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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.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post
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Corny and far-fetched it may be, but Frequency works -- except for some stretches when it doesn't.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark Caro
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune
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Frequency grabs you in the first few seconds and never lets go.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
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Frequency submits itself for our approval as a solid thriller, if not necessarily a timeless one.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
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Has so little faith in its Twilight Zone-ish yarn that it resorts to a pulpy serial-killer subplot to juice the mumbo-jumbo.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
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