Frequency

by Robert J. Hawkins | Nov 2, 2000

Solar flare-ups create a unique cosmic disturbance and the next thing you know, a grown-up son in Queens is talking to the father who died 30 years ago. And that`s just the beginning of "Frequency" (New Line, PG-13, VHS/rental, DVD/$25), a sizzling sci-fi thriller that will leave a lump in your throat.

This is the kind of film the phone company loves best. The theatrical release must have spawned a zillion calls home from sons to dads. In fact, the father-son relationship is the best part of "Frequency." There are some good fire-fighting scenes early on, but they`re nothing like the ones in "Backdraft." There`s a real thriller built around trying to stop a serial killer, on the loose these 30 years, but there`s no new ground here, either. What really works best is the magic between Dennis Quaid as Frank Sullivan, a New York firefighter in 1969, and Jim Caviezel as his son, John, a New York cop in 1999.

Through quirky atmospheric conditions, young John, still living in the family house at 343 Second Avenue in Queens, finds himself talking to his dad through the old man`s ham radio. The writers and director Gregory Hoblit have crafted the movie`s most beautiful moments here. The two men, unaware of the bridge in time, talk cordially about New York and baseball. When it finally hits John (his father always called him "Chief") who he`s talking to - trust me, it is a Hollywood moment and Caviezel puts on an Oscar-worthy performance.

Frank died a hero`s death in the midst of the 1969 World Series, trying to rescue a runaway teen girl from a burning building. He never got to see what those "amazing Mets" could do. (Imagine if they`d waited until after this year to make the movie: I have the Yankee-Mets game from Shea Stadium on mute as I write this.) John is able to prevent his father from making a fatal error in judgment in the burning warehouse and suddenly he is awash in 20 new years of father-son memories, of a father who died from cancer only 10 years ago, rather than 30. But he retains the old memories as well.

Their good fortune triggers a whole series of changes in the universe - naturally - one of them being a mysterious serial killer`s body count rises from three strangled nurses in the late 1960s to 11 by 1999. Worse, one of his victims is John`s mother. Suddenly father and son find themselves in a race against time and degrading atmospheric conditions to solve the murders before John`s mother becomes one of the victims.

The whole messing with the time-space continuum becomes a bit boggling and if you really try too hard to track the changes that occur, your head will explode from the pressure. Having rewind doesn`t really help, as this is Hollywood - not science. You just have to sort of buy into the premise and go with the flow. The switch from sentimental sci-fi to cop-thriller is a real change in speeds, but a fairly adroit one. Maybe you can see the payoff coming at the end from the second act onward, but it is worth it.

Who hasn`t wished they could go back in time and changed a few things (maybe invested in Microsoft when it was $5 a share), who doesn`t long for one last conversation with a close family member or friend? Quaid is at his best here - still flashing that boyish-man grin and unaffected charm. Andre Braugher (TV`s "Homicide") has a limited but memorable role as Satch, a cop who is close friend to both father and son.

Elizabeth Mitchell ("Nurse Betty") plays the mother/wife of the Sullivans and Noah Emmerich ("The Truman Show") is Gordo, John`s childhood friend. The DVD features a full commentary track with director Hoblit, as well as commentary by Emmerich and his brother, Toby, who wrote the screenplay. It also has four deleted scenes and a feature on the science and technology underlying the "Frequency" premise.

The "Platinum Series" DVD also contains a Dynamic Index Screenplay. The script is linked to the actual scenes in the movie. You can also search the film by actors, year, action, score and more. Pretty cool stuff.

ALSO THIS WEEK:

"Return to Me" (MGM, PG, VHS/rental, DVD/$27) - In this romantic comedy, David Duchovny ("The X-Files") is a widower and Minnie Driver is a waitress who fall in love on a blind date - actually Duchovny`s character is on a date with another woman. They eat at the restaurant where Driver is working. Written and directed by actress Bonnie Hunt, the film has a terrific supporting cast, including Hunt, Carrol O`Connor, David Alan Grier, James Belushi and Robert Loggia.

"The Idiots" (USA, R, VHS/rental) - In this import from Danish director Larsvon Trier ("Breaking the Waves"), a collective of young people devote their energies to getting in touch with their inner idiot in order to rid themselves of their middle-class complacency.

"Left Behind: The Movie" (Cloud Ten/Namesake, unrated, DVD/VHS, $30) - Based on a novel in a hugely popular series that uses the Bible`s Book of Revelations as its foundation. It is all about Apocalypse, now. What distinguishes this film from fundamentalist Christian-based ventures past is the production values - there is nothing shabby about this $17 million movie. One-time TV kid actor Kirk Cameron is a journalist who finds himself in the middle of the biggest story in history: millions of people have disappeared in a flash all over the world. Is it the Apocalypse fulfilled or something more down-to-earth, like a massive conspiracy to control the world`s food supply?

"The Prisoner" (A&E, Sets 1 & 2, VHS/$30, DVD/$40) - Talking about suddenly disappearing and paranoia - this late-`60s television series starring Patrick McGoohan changed the way people viewed television. It was smart, challenging, mysterious and lasted a mere 17 hour-long episodes, only 16 of which ever aired.

McGoohan awakens one day to find himself on a charming little island populated by eccentrics. He has been given the name Number Six and the understanding that there is no hope of escape from the island. Each set contains three episodes, in sequence. The DVDs offer an alternative version of one early episode, a map of the island and other superb features.

"Deal of a Lifetime" (MGM, PG, VHS/rental, DVD/$20) - Teen romantic comedy turns on the old Faustian deal for geeky high school boys - sell your soul for a date with a cheerleader. Kevin Pollack plays the devil`s emissary. The rest are a pleasant cast of up-and-comers - Michael Goorjian ("Leaving Las Vegas"); Jennifer Rubin ("The Crush"); and Shiri Appleby (TV`s "Roswell").

DVD UPDATE:

The original guy who talks to the animals, Rex Harrison stars in the 1967 Lerner & Lowe musical "Doctor Doolittle" (20th Century Fox, rated G, $30), debuting on DVD in widescreen format. The only special features are the inclusion of the original theatrical trailer and an option to hear the movie in French.

Two Disney animated features debut on DVD, "The Black Cauldron" (rated PG, $30) and "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (rated G, $30). Both discs contain games themed to the movies and classic Disney short cartoons, among other extras. "Adventures" is actually two children`s tales: "The Wind and the Willows" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

Two nifty Christmas "double-feature" gift sets from Universal arrive this week: The Robert DeNiro set - "Casino" and "The Deer Hunter" ($45); and The Jim Carrey set - "Man On the Moon" and "Liar Liar" ($50).

Iconoclastic director Oliver Stone adds a feature-length commentary track and deleted scenes to the Tom Cruise bio-pic "Born on the Fourth of July" (rated R, $27) from Universal this week. Debuting on DVD is Stone`s suspense-thriller "Talk Radio" (rated R, $27) with production notes and cast and crew biographies.

The Orson Welles noir classic "Touch of Evil" (Universal, $30) arrives on DVD for the first time in a newly restored version - the version Welles fought unsuccessfully for in 1958. It includes Welles` infamous 58-page memo to Universal Studio outlining his changes. (Not included is a documentary on the making of the movie, previously said to be part of this package.)

The film stars Charlton Heston as a scrupulous Mexican police officer, Janet Leigh as his American wife and Welles as a drunken and corrupt police chief. Universal studio bosses took the film away from Welles and edited it into one that suited their vision, prompting Welles` infamous memo.

Director Andy Tennant contributes a commentary track to the DVD debut of "Anna and the King" which stars Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. Also on the disc are bonus scenes from the movie and an HBO making-of feature. Rated PG-13, the disc is priced under $27 from Fox.

"Fail Safe" (Columbia TriStar, unrated, black-and-white, DVD/$25) - This Cold War classic about a technical malfunction that sends a squad of U.S. nuclear bombers streaking toward Russia is being re-released on DVD with a commentary track by director Sidney Lumet, a brief feature on the film and biographies of such stars as Walter Matthau, Henry Fonda and Larry Hagman.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:

Nov. 7: Stunning animated futuristic feature "Titan A.E."

Nov. 21: Latest chapter in Michael Apted`s look every seven years at the lives of 14 of his fellow English citizens, first begun in 1964: "48 Up."

Also, anthology of animated short films from around the world, "Cartoon Noir."

Dec. 19: Jennifer Lopez in the cyber-cerebral effects thriller "The Cell."

Aristocratic Brenda Blethyn turns to pot growing to save the manor in "Saving Grace."

Jan. 2, 2001: Kevin Bacon and Elisabeth Shue in the invisible-man sci-fi thriller "Hollow Man."

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