Product: Frequency (2000)
Rating: 4.0
Echoes Through Time
In the thriller Frequency, directed by Gregory Hoblit (Primal FearandFallen), audiences were given an unexpectedly well-made science fiction/suspense film. The film is an expertly directed piece of entertainment that will have viewers so absorbed in its thrilling story that they may have trouble coming back to reality after the end credits have rolled.The film, which was written by Toby Emmerich, explores what happens if a person could alter the past by communicating through time. And while dealing with such heady quantum conundrums, the story also allows for moments of genuine emotion.Troubled New York detective John Sullivan's life is changed forever when he contacts his father, Frank Sullivan, with an old ham radio. What makes their reunion so extraordinary is the fact that Frank died in a fire thirty years earlier. When John realizes that the Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights) is enabling him to communicate with his father in 1969, he warns him of his death, thus giving Frank the opportunity to save himself and change the future. But altering the timeline proves to be complicated and dangerous as the Sullivan family soon finds out. When John discovers that his effect on the past has changed the future sequence of events, resulting in his mother's death at the hands of a serial killer in 1969, he must uncover the truth about who killed her so that his father can stop her murder before it happens. Utilizing his detective skills, John guides his father on a search for the killer, but the more they disrupt the course of events in the past, the more they find themselves endangered in the future. It's not long before the entire Sullivan family is under threat and their only hope for a life together is dependent upon Frank's resourcefulness and John's guidance. Can they solve the murder of John's mother before she's killed or will they be forced to watch as their temporal interference costs them that which they hold dearest; their family?The film stars Dennis Quaid as Frank Sullivan and Jim Caviezel as John Sullivan. The supporting cast includes Andre Braugher, Elizabeth Mitchell, Shawn Doyle, and Noah Emmerich (the screenwriter's brother). Both Quaid and Caviezel give strong performances, as does the entire cast. Adding to the power of the performances is the subtle aging makeup that it is skillfully applied to the actors to help viewers differentiate between the characters in 1969 and 1999.One of the things that makes Frequency truly unique is that it manages to root itself in the foundations of multiple genres. Being part science fiction, part murder mystery, and part family drama, the film could have easily fallen apart if it weren't for the concentrated efforts of its director.Another interesting aspect of the film is that it's essentially a time travel film in which no one actually travels through time. Only information is relayed back and forth through the ham radio, which limits the opportunities for action and the visual effects set pieces while heightening the suspense.Now the film isn't perfect. There are some serious flaws in the story's logic when it comes to quantum physics and the disruption of the space-time continuum, but the story is absorbing enough that this shouldn't bother many viewers.Also adding to the film's overall impact is the exciting score by master film composer Michael Kamen, who combines taut, suspenseful musical cues with haunting themes that echo the emotions of the characters.All in all, Frequency is an exhilarating thriller that should not be forgotten.The excellent DVD includes an audio commentary by director Gregory Hoblit, an audio commentary by writer Toby Emmerich and actor Noah Emmerich, a trivia track, The Science Behind Frequency documentary, deleted scenes, image galleries, and more.Also recommended:Back to the Future - The Complete TrilogyFlight of the NavigatorThe AbyssSeven12 MonkeysContactPiThe Matrix