Subject: REVIEW: PHENOMENON (1996)

From: [email-masked] (Edwin Jahiel)
Date: 14 Jul 1996 15:24:38 GMT

PHENOMENON 
                       A film review by Edwin Jahiel
                        Copyright 1996 Edwin Jahiel

PHENOMENON * 1/2 . Directed by John Turteltaub. Writen by Gerald 
DiPego. Phtography, Phedon Papamichael. Editing, Bruce Green. 
Production design, Garreth Stover. Music, Thomas Newman. Cast: John 
Travolta (George) Kyra Sedgwick (Lace) Forest Whitaker(Nate), Robert 
Duvall (Doc), et al. Released by Buena Vista. 124 min. Rated PG. 

Ignorance is bliss? Wait and see.

In a cute, cute, grungily picturesque small town in the North of 
(you've guessed it, it's California again), people live in friendship 
and celebrate the 37th birthday of George Malley (Travolta, who is 
42). Here you ask: Did you say George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart's name in 
Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life"? Not quite but close.

George is a good man and a fine auto mechanic whose best pal is Nate 
(Whitaker). He is secretly in love with divorcee Lace (Sedgwick) who 
has two cute kids and (once bitten) does not wish to complicate her 
life.

On the night of his birthday, a mysterious light in the sky hits 
George. It must be the Bolt of Knowledge. Before you can spell 
"miracle" George, the common man. is transformed into a genius such as 
the world has never seen. He reads books by the ton, understands just 
about everything, learns foreign languages in minutes, has the gift of 
telekinesis, can beat anyone at chess, senses coming earthquakes, 
fixes organic and super-efficient fertilizer from common products, and 
more.  

In short he is a polymath of extraordinary, superhuman proportions. 
But while otherwise George remains his old, warm and friendly self, 
his new power begins to disturb others. Except  his pal Nate, the 
kindly doctor (Duvall) - the most educated and sophisticated person in 
town, Lace's children (kids are wiser than adults) and eventually, 
after a slow, sweet courtship, Lace herself. 

There is a disturbing subtext of anti-intellectualism here. Or perhaps 
there is not. Hard to tell as the movie's myth seems uncertain as to 
where it wants to go, though surely it alludes biblically to the 
dangers of knowledge, clearly so when George and the kids take turns 
biting into an apple.  

As George is about to go to the University at Berkeley and speak to 
all sorts of savants, and awkward plot device has the FBI close in on 
him as someone who knows classified information. More troubles follow 
at the same as happiness of an ordinary kind comes, thanks to loving 
Lace. (She gives him what is supposed to be the most erotic, shampoo 
and haircut in movies, but is, in reality, a tedious timewaster for 
us). 

As troubles proceed, so does the sentimentality that steadily rises to 
95 percent humidity tearjerker levels. The film, slow and a bit dull 
at first, remains slow and becomes very dull. This mega-intelligence 
of George's could have led the movie into any number of serious, funny 
or brainy directions. Instead, it opts for a peculiar solution that 
leaves everyone dissatisfied. I will not reveal it, in case you do see 
the film because of 
Travolta who is very good, a warm, unpretentious, lovable being. 

Duvall is,as usual, perfect. Whitaker is merely a necessary presence, 
as is Sedgwick. The photography, heavy on the lyrical, is good. The 
score is terrible, generic stuff of the connect-the-dots school.