PHENOMENON
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1996 Michael Redman
**1/2 (Out of ****)
In this unlikely combination of "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Twilight Zone", John Travolta is Gomer Pyle turned super smart.
George Malley (Travolta) is celebrating his 37th birthday in a quiet little backwater in northern California by getting wasted with his buddies in the local bar. Wandering outside and looking up into the heavens, he is blasted with a white light from the sky (Shazam!) that knocks him off his feet and leaves him unconscious in the middle of the highway.
When he comes to and makes his way back inside the tavern, of course no one believes him. They catch on that something is different during the next few days as good ole boy George becomes a chess wiz, learns Portuguese in 20 minutes, invents a super-grow fertilizer, sets out to read virtually every book in the library and moves objects with his mind.
The townsfolk begin to fear the changed auto mechanic and he is shunned by everyone except his closest friends the town doctor (Robert Duvall) and Nate (an extremely likable Forest Whitaker). George's only bright spot in his social life is that his secret love, divorcee Lace (Kyra Sedgwick) is becoming more interested albeit still reluctant to jump back into the pond.
The first half of the film is enticing although remarkably laid-back (read "slow"), but then it drifts off into a dozen different directions -- none of which are very interesting or well explored. The military are after George because he has broken a secret code. George wants to help mankind with his new knowledge, but the scientists at the university ignore him. Doc is concerned about George's health. Lace may or may not want to become involved. There are a number of philosophical questions about knowledge. What's the meaning of the good life?
When the reason for George's sudden increase in intelligence is revealed, I felt cheated. Although it was unclear what, up until that point, the movie had hints of talking about something greater than man. Then it becomes mundane and maudlin. Heading towards the end, the film begins to feel like a cheap tear-jerker with beautiful scenery.
First rate acting from the principals, but something feels strange about each of them. We are so used to Hollywood mega-productions that when something like this comes around, it's difficult to tell if the people seem weird because they're realistic or because they _are_ weird.
[This originally appeared in "The Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana, 7/18/96. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com]
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