Frequency

Directed by: Gregory Hoblit Written by: Toby Emmerich Starring: Dennis Quaid James Caviezel Elizabeth Mitchell Shawn Doyle Andre Braugher Frank McAnulty Noah Emmerich Jordan Bridges Michael Cera Stephen Joffe

I was fairly reluctant to go to this movie. The trailer and ads just didn't do anything to grab me at all. But whenever there is a chance to see a movie before its release I bite the bullet and go see it. I'm glad I did. This movie was surprisingly entertaining.

It opens up in October 1969 in Queens, New York. Dennis Quaid is Frank Sullivan, a fireman. We see him making a daring rescue that he himself only just barely survives safely. Frank returns home for a mild scolding from his wife and the admiration of his son. The movie then flashes forward thirty years. Frank's son John (James Caviezel) now inhabits his parents house. He has become a cop and his love life is falling apart. His girlfriend walks out on him. His best friend Gordo comes to visit with his son. They need to borrow John's fishing equipment for a camping trip. In the process of digging out the equipment they come on Frank's fireman's gear in a footlocker. Along with it is a ham radio that Frank used to play with.

They plug it in but it won't work. Late at night we see the Northern Lights dancing in the sky as massive solar flares are scrambling the atmosphere. Suddenly the radio springs to life and John, who can barely remember how to use it, starts talking to another man. Eventually it turns out that the man is Frank. The same solar flares are occuring in 1969 creating a weird effect that lets John talk to his dead father.

I won't say more than that because much of the fun of the movie lies in the realization of what is going on and the oddities involved in changing history. That is exactly what happens, history is changed, setting off a series of unexpected events that nearly destroys their family.

You can get that much out of the trailer so I don't feel bad about telling that much. The beauty of the movie is that there is a lot more to discover. It may seem like the trailer gives the plot away but it really just gives away the setup.

What really makes the movie work is that Quaid and Caviezel develop a wonderful bond that really lets the audience believe them as father and son. It focuses on the importance of family as a child grows up. The feeling of suddenly losing a parent is brought sharply into focus. After watching the movie I suddenly had the urge to call up my parents just to say hi.

The aspect that dealt with time was well done. When you stop and think about it the movie's concept seems pretty damn silly. Despite that it allows you to forget that by sticking closely to logical consequences to the actions. It all works well and judging by the audience I saw it with, it was clicking pretty well across the board. Particularly satisfying for me is that the characters are die hard Mets fans. And as any good Mets fans knows, October 1969 was a particularly good time for that franchise. The Mets astounding World Series victory serves as the backdrop for the movie and is carefully worked into the plot as well.

It's a satisfying crowd pleaser. You can walk away from it happy and without the feeling that the filmmakers were trying to manipulate your emotions. It never feels cheap. It has a real sincerity to it that is refreshing. I'm not trying to claim that this is a brilliant film but it is an awfully good one that you should probably go see.

- John Shea