People are what life makes of them

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2020)

Every so often a movie comes along that shows the limitations of "critics" who are at the end of the day simply regular folk who watch a LOT of movies. They clearly didn't understand this one!
The Butterfly Effect explores something that we'd all love to do if we had chance and that is to go back in time, with our current knowledge, and change the past in the hope of improving the present. But more importantly it explores the connection between experience and personality. Events shape us. A different past means a different person.
Many reviewers focus on the paedophile but this isn't a movie about the impact of sexual abuse on kids - that's just one example of action/consequence.
Successful people often attribute their life to their personality - "if you were like me, you'd be rich/happy too". Few ever contemplate what is more likely :that their positive, can-do attitude stems from earlier (lucky) successes. Take anyone, put them in a no-win situation and sooner or later they'll become miserable, stressed and either violent or suicidal.
The weak point in this movie is the scene where Kayleigh is killed by dynamite. I mean what was Evan thinking? Was it an attempt to kill George - if so pretty unlikely only he would die as the children were all in the same small space. That moment was too unbelievable for me.
Some have called the ending weak, perhaps because it isn't your typical Hollywood, everyone lives happily ever after moment - but that's half the point - in each alternate reality some people are happier, some are sadder - Evan finished by selflessly choosing one in which he was the only one to "suffer". The point is its about more than just Evan. Each of us interact with the world as we live - no matter what our intentions, some of those interactions are good for others and some bad. The only way to "correct" our bad interactions may be not to interact at all, but since that isn't possible in the real world, the important thing is to recognise that these consequences exist and to be sensitive to them.
Lenny hates Frat boys because they've always been mean to him. Frat boys hate Lenny because he's always weirdly scary. If in the reality we're Evan was a frat boy but remembered Lenny could be nice, he had the power to change things - maybe? Perhaps not - but he had the power not to make things worse.
Behind every sad, angry, strange person there's a story - YOU could be in their shoes if you'd had their life. Think before you judge. I could go on, but you will either get this or you won't.