Phenomenon (1996)

Director:

Jon Turteltaub

Writer (WGA):

Gerald Di Pego (written by)

Release Date:

3 July 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Fantasy

Tagline:

Some things in life just can't be explained.

Plot:

An ordinary man sees a bright light descend from the sky, and discovers he now has super-intelligence and telekinesis.

Plot Keywords:

Light | Telekinesis | Bar | Birthday | Science

Awards:

7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	George Malley
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Lace Pennamin
Forest Whitaker	...	Nate Pope
Robert Duvall	...	Doc Brunder
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Prof. John Ringold
Richard Kiley	...	Dr. Wellin
David Gallagher	...	Al Pennamin
Ashley Buccille	...	Glory Pennamin
Tony Genaro	...	Tito
Sean O'Bryan	...	Banes
Michael Milhoan	...	Jimmy
Troy Evans	...	Roger
Bruce A. Young	...	FBI Agent Jack Hatch (as Bruce Young)
Vyto Ruginis	...	Ted Rhome
Brent Spiner	...	Dr. Bob Niedorf

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and mild sensuality.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (FotoKem)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Philippines:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Austria:12 | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Auburn, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Nate Pope (Forest Whitaker) is an Amateur Radio operator with the call sign WB6QLF. QLF is amateur shorthand for "I am sending with my left foot", a reference to someone whose Morse Code sending skill is very bad. This is normally sent as a question "QLF?" meaning "Are you sending with your left foot?" to an operator who is very difficult to understand in Morse.

Goofs:

Continuity: When George is working on the truck with the kids, Al is tightening the air filter cover. Just before Al runs away mad, there is a shot of the fully tightened air filter cover. Later, when the FBI guy looks at it, the cover is off and you can see the filter on its tray.

Quotes:

Bonnie: George Malley! You learned the Portuguese language in 20 minutes?
George Malley: Not all of it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My Name Is Earl: Monkeys in Space (#1.14)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Touch Me in the Morning

the magic of energy in everything and everyone

Phenomenon is a story about energy that is in everything and everyone. It's a very subtle and philosophical film that expresses more than meets your senses. It goes right for your heart and stays there. One might argue that it is a very "sugarsweet" tale of the things that make life (worthwhile), but there is so much more to it. The heart of the matter is that nothing goes to waste in the universe. Everything is on it's way to somewhere all the time. Energy will manifest itself without getting tired. Things, bodies, thoughts, even love, are all vessels that are secondary to the spirit that drives them. This sounds all very vague and maybe even religious-like. But indeed some things are hard to explain. Questions are often a waste of time. So don't ask where all this energy originates from. Phenomenon will not provide the answer, at least it is not pretentious in that direction because the makers realize that the human-mind is unfit to grasp this in the first place. Phenomenology is the philosophical school that investigates how things appear in the world. The film shows that it is often slightly or profoundly different from how it looks at first hand. I enjoyed the simple way of presenting this very complicated message that matters to all of us and everything else too.