A fairly wonderful movie about fathers and sons and the mystery of time.
Frequency (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:122
Fresh:85
Rotten:37
Average Rating:6.5/10
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
Touches upon the profound human longing to escape the constraints of time, to see the wrongs and mistakes of the past somehow set right, redeemed.
Movies sometimes end up looking like a head-on collision between opposing impulses. Frequency is that kind of movie.
A psychological thriller about the deepening of a father-son relationship.
The film succeeds because it chooses to focus on the human side of the story.
Fascinating enough to hold our interest, even as it drifts away from its early promise and tries just a bit too hard to bring all of the plot threads to a happy, tidy conclusion. But then, believability isn't an issue here.
None of its early heroics really matter: only the botched finale lingers in the mind.
A satisfying thriller because it is about something more than just the mechanics of its plot. It has a good story and characters to go along with the suspense, which makes it that much more interesting and involving.
All too often time travel can be a good way to leave an audience wishing it could go back to the past and choose another film, but director Hoblit makes this a worthy journey.
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.
An implausible, but entertaining fantasy that taps into one of man's primal fantasies: the what-if scenario.
Less than it might have been, but more than many other movies. Fans of crime thrillers will find the twists and turns entertaining, while those who appreciate sentimental family drama also get something out of the experience.
Why, in the second half of Frequency, does the script allow its guts to overwhelm its spirit?
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
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