Frequency Review

by Edward Johnson-Ott (ejohnsonott AT prodigy DOT net)
April 26th, 2000

Frequency (2000)
Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Andre Braugher, Elizabeth Mitchell, Noah Emmerich, Shawn Doyle, Jordan Bridges, Melissa Errico, Daniel Henson. Music by Michael Kamen. Screenplay by Toby Emmerich. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. 117 minutes.
Rated PG-13, 3.5 stars (out of five stars)

Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly
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On the surface, "Frequency" is a cross between a time travel fantasy and a murder mystery, but at its core, the film is an unabashed love letter to fatherhood. While the plot mechanics are convoluted, to say the least (I've seen the movie twice and I'm still sorting it out), "Frequency" left me with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes, due mostly to the performances of Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel.

Caviezel plays John Sullivan, a New York police officer who never fully recovered from the loss of his father, Frank (Quaid), a firefighter who died a hero when John was six years old. On an October night in 1999, the eve of the 30th anniversary of that fateful day when Frank entered a burning warehouse and never came out, John fiddles with Dad's old ham radio and strikes up a conversation with a congenial guy from his neighborhood in Queens.

To his amazement, John soon realizes that the person on the other end of the radio is his father. A freak series of sunspots has somehow cut across time, creating a radio link between 1999 and 1969. During their initial chat, John blurts out a warning to the disbelieving man about his pending demise. "If you'd just gone the other way, you would have made it," he shouts as the connection fades.

The next day, Frank finds himself in the warehouse fire described the night before. At the crucial moment, he heeds the warning and, going against his instincts, turns the opposite direction in a blazing hallway and emerges from the inferno alive and well.

Unfortunately, the temporal change leads to disaster. Because of an incident triggered by Frank's survival, a serial killer that slaughtered three women in the original timeline has now murdered 10, including John's mother, Julia (Elizabeth Mitchell). Swapping information over the decades, John and Frank frantically struggle to discover the identity of the madman, so they can prevent the murder from happening.

Confused? Well, so was I. For a time travel story to work, the writer must carefully think through the paradoxes and then find a way to make them comprehensible to the viewer. I spent the better part of an hour discussing the internal logic of "Frequency" with a friend and, while she believes the writer has his cards in order, I remain less than fully convinced.

But that's okay, because the rewards of the film come not from the time travel business, but from the portrait of a son reaching out for his dad. John is a good man and a fine officer, but the loss of his father left a void that nothing else has filled. I can relate. My father passed away 14 months ago and, whenever something interesting turns up on the news, I still catch myself reaching for the phone to call him. My son, who is also coping with the loss, recently told me "I wish we could make phone calls to Heaven." In a fashion, "Frequency" fulfills that wish, and it's hard not to choke up when hearing Frank say "Tell me about your life, son."

Dennis Quaid is wonderful as Frank, the ideal dad. Described by his wife as a "big kid," he splits his time between his noble profession and his beloved family, serving as a terrific role model. Quaid's performance is so genuine that his occasionally strained "New Yawk" accent is easy to overlook. Jim Caviezel does fine work as well, effectively conveying the angst of a man who goes through all the right motions, but still feels a void inside. The supporting cast members are uniformly strong, although they are given relatively little to do.

While Toby Emmerich's script includes some exceptional moments, it would have been better served without the serial killer plot line. Of course, to propel the story, something bad must happen when Frank's survival changes time, but the murder angle has been covered in other time travel movies, and with better clarity. Surely, Emmerich could have cooked up a more novel crisis.

Director Gregory Hoblit presents the complex screenplay as straightforwardly as possible. Beautifully photographed, the images are often lyrical, particularly an overhead montage of young John riding his bicycle in circles on the street. Hoblit adds intimacy to scenes of John and Frank talking over the 30-year gap by superimposing both of their faces onto the screen. He also uses special effects with restraint, a welcome change from most contemporary movies. Come to think of it, "a welcome change" is a fitting overall description of "Frequency." Flawed though it may be, this is a story that delivers when it counts.
© 2000 Ed Johnson-Ott

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