Phenomenon (film)

Infobox Film | name = Phenomenon

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caption = "Phenomenon" theatrical poster
director = Jon Turteltaub
producer = Barbara Boyle
Michael Taylor
Charles Newirth
writer= Gerald Di Pego
starring = John Travolta
Kyra Sedgwick
Forest Whitaker
Robert Duvall
music = Thomas Newman
cinematography = Phedon Papamichael
editing = Bruce Green
distributor = Touchstone Pictures
released = July 3, 1996 (USA)
runtime = 123 min.
language = English
budget = $32,000,000 US (est.)
amg_id = 1:136220
imdb_id = 0117333

"Phenomenon" is a 1996 drama, romance, and fantasy film written by Gerald Di Pego, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, and Robert Duvall.

In the film, an amiable, small-town everyman is inexplicably transformed into a genius with telekinetic powers. The original music score is composed by Thomas Newman. However, it included 'I Have The Touch' by Peter Gabriel and "Change the World" by Eric Clapton and Babyface. It was filmed in Auburn, Colfax, Davis, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, and Treasure Island, all in Northern California.

Plot summary

George Malley (John Travolta) is a man whose life is transformed by a strange flash of light he observes on the evening of his 37th birthday.

Over the course of the following days, George starts to experience an extraordinary form of genius-level intelligence, rapidly absorbing vasts amounts of information, formulating new, revolutionary ideas, and even exhibiting telekinetic abilities.

George tries to use his new intelligence for the good of his community. At first local town folks are intrigued and amused by George's new abilities, but as they increase, community members gradually become afraid of him, with the only exceptions being love interest Lace Pennamin (Kyra Sedgwick), town physician Doc Brunder (Robert Duvall), and best friend Nate Pope (Forest Whitaker). Matters are complicated further when the government begins to take an interest in his newfound genius.

While participating in a town fair, George wants to publicize his revolutionary findings to the community with the hopes to make people's lives better; instead, the townsfolk are more concerned with seeing a display of his telekinesis, and a frenzied press conference ensues, overwhelming George, knocking him down. Soon after, another great flash of light appears to George and he loses consciousness. He awakens in a hospital where Dr. Brunder explains what's been causing his change. He has an astrocytoma brain tumor that has spread out like a hand, with threads of it everywhere. But, instead of destroying brain function, so far it's been stimulating it. Thus, George has more area of active brain use than anybody ever tested because of the tentacles from the tumor (a version of the ten-percent myth).

The tumor is claimed to be what caused the dizziness and illusion of light experienced by George, rather than a mystical or extraterrestrial source, but this is never definitively concluded, leaving the viewer to speculate. As a result of the tumor, George doesn't have much time to live. Government-employed doctors propose cutting George's life even shorter by examining his brain before he can die a natural death, and argue that if he objects to their plan, the objection itself would be proof that he is mentally unfit to make such a decision, and that the government would then proceed with the examination anyway. Held against his will--allegedly just for observation, but really until the government can put its plan into action--George eventually escapes, hoping to continue his research. He hopes that seismologist Dr. Ringold (Jeffrey DeMunn) from UC Berkeley might continue his experiments and, ultimately, complete the research he'll never get to finish.

After returning home, George gives Nate notes which basically served as a journal and gives him some other notes to deliver to Doc Brunder. He then retrieves his scientific research and, literally, runs to Lace's house. There, he aims to give his final farewells to Lace and her children, Al and Glory (David Gallagher and Ashley Buccille, respectively). When the children realize that George has basically returned there to die (in peace), they are emotionally overwhelmed by this and run off. George goes to them, and in one scene, comforts them by using an apple as a metaphor: no matter what, an apple will rot and decay if thrown on the ground, but if they were to take a bite out of it, the apple would become a part of them, and they would carry it with them forever. By doing this, he expresses the last wishes of a terminally ill man - that he hopes to leave those around him with some of his love and wisdom, as well as easing their sadness at his inevitable departure.

Later that day, George lays out a blanket in the shade of a tree, where he and Lace then lay down together to share a final emotional bond. Finally, George tells her "It's happening", indicating that his moment of death is imminent. With tears in her eyes, Lace lovingly embraces him as he quietly dies in her arms, giving him the peaceful death which he had hoped for.

Dr. Ringold arrives the next morning to speak with George again, but he's too late. Lace then gives him George's incomplete research notebooks, indicating that he hoped Ringold would be able to finish the scientific work which George had started.

The movie ends at George's next birthday held at the Elkhorn bar, where the townsfolk gather to celebrate George Malley's birthday. The photo of him is seen in the bar, just as the previous birthday, symbolizing he is still there, if only in spirit. We see Nate with his pregnant Portugese "Angel" leaving the lower "forty" that he said couldn't grow weeds but has yielded an abundance of corn, thanks to George's innovations. The ending also reveals the positive impact George has had on people's lives; such as Lace's son learning to play chess with Doc Brunder, Roger and Nate talking as friends, or Nate's romance with his Portuguese Angel. Everyone is happy and talking, Bains and Lisa are back together (apparently Bains figured out Lisa's chairs).

Cast

* John Travolta - George Malley
* Kyra Sedgwick - Lace Pennamin
* Forest Whitaker - Nate Pope
* Robert Duvall - Doc Brunder
* Jeffrey DeMunn - Prof. John Ringold, seismologist
* Richard Kiley - Dr. Wellin, brain specialist
* Brent Spiner - Dr. Bob Niedorf
* Vyto Ruginis - Ted Rhome
* Bruce A. Young - FBI Agent Jack Hatch
* Michael Milhoan - Jimmy
* Sean O'Bryan - Banes
* David Gallagher - Al Pennamin
* Ashley Buccille - Glory Pennamin
* Tony Genaro - Tito
* Troy Evans - Roger
* Ellen Geer - Bonnie
* James Keane - Pete

Phenomenon II

On November 1, 2003 a television movie titled "Phenomenon II" was broadcast on the ABC Network. It was directed by Ken Olin and starred Terry O'Quinn, Jill Clayburgh and Christopher Shyer as George Malley.

Although it was billed as a sequel to the film, "Phenomenon II" is actually a partial-remake of the original film, essentially retelling the original story while adding new characters and introducing a sub-plot involving the NSA. The open ending of the telefilm suggests that it may have served as a pilot for a new TV series, though a "Phenomenon" series has not materialized.

External links

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