The Arbitrary Whim Of Nature Itself

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2009)

A very strange and disturbed girl has the idea for a time capsule to be placed on school grounds to be opened by the children of 2009 to see what the kids of the Eisenhower era in 1959 thought their future would be. When it comes time to put her contribution in however, young Lara Robinson just comes up with a page and a series of meaningless numbers.
Meaningless to everyone except physicist Nicholas Cage who is one of the parents present in 2009 when the time capsule is opened. They prophesy a series of disasters including what Cage horrifyingly realizes could be the end of the world itself.
At the same time some mysterious strangers seem very interested in both Cage's son, Chandler Cantlebury and Lara Robinson playing her own granddaughter. What their interest is not even a renowned scientist like Cage can figure out.
The ironic thing is that what would bring about the end of the world has nothing whatsoever to do with our behavior environmentally or with any mad terrorist act. It's the arbitrary whim of nature itself and the frightening thing is that also Knowing isn't going to help mankind one single bit.
Nicholas Cage does a fine job covering the ground between concerned scientist and concerned single parent. There's also a bit of spiritual journey for him when he reconciles at the very end with his minister father.
As for the mysterious strangers, they've got quite an answer to things which there's no way I'm going to reveal.
Knowing has a mixed message between rational thought and spiritual searching that can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. It's a film people will be debating for years about.