Directed by: Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber
Format: DVD
DVD Features: (coming soon)
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters, Amy Smart, William Lee Scott, Eldon Henson
Trailer
There have been countless books and movies exploring the concept of time travel. From that concept arose theories about what the effects would be should it ever be possible to travel into the past. The Butterfly Effect is one of those theories. Although I’ve always known the term as the theory that all things on Earth are effected by, and in turn, effect one another, this movie uses the term another way. In a nutshell, it asserts that if one small thing were changed in the past, it would cause a sort of ripple effect, dramatically changing the present. Remember The Simpsons Halloween episode when Homer accidentally turns his toaster into a time machine? That’s the basic idea.
When Evan Treborn is 7, he starts to experience brief episodes of memory loss. His blackouts and disturbing behavior prompt his mother to take him to a psychologist for evaluation. Although the doctor doesn’t find any medical reasons for his condition, he suggests that Evan begin to keep a journal. At the age of 13, he continues to black out during particularly traumatic events, all of which involve his small circle of friends. Kayleigh Miller is one of his childhood friends and becomes his first love. Her brother, Tommy, is violent and deeply disturbed. Tagging along with those three is Lenny Kagan, the chubby kid that Tommy likes to pick on. But after one too many disturbing incidents, his mother moves them out of town.
One night, years later in his college dorm room, Evan happens to open one of his old journals. As he’s reading, the writing starts to waver on the page and he suddenly finds himself at the age of 7 again, back at the scene described in his journal. Moments later and he’s returned to his dorm room, with a bloody nose and a killer headache. Since he’s a psych major, with a focus on how the mind processes memory, Evan’s interest is peaked by his apparent ability to relive his childhood – literally. He drives back to his old neighborhood to look up Kayleigh, whom he hasn’t seen in years (despite his promise to come back for her). When he questions her about their past, she becomes upset and when Evan returns to school later that night, he learns that Kayleigh’s committed suicide. Feeling that he may be able to save her from that fate, Evan uses his newfound ability to change the past. However, the results aren’t quite what he hopes for.
By far, the most disturbing special effect in this movie is Evan as an amputee. It’s completely creepy and realistic. Aside from that, the visuals in The Butterfly Effect are pretty standard. There aren’t any wild CGI sequences or surreal worlds. There aren’t any notably creative camera angles or lighting effects. In and of itself, the cinematography isn’t bad, but it’s not astounding. It’s basic and expected.
I can’t say that I’ve ever been an Ashton Kutcher fan. He was never my favorite character in That 70’s Show and I made no particular effort to watch Punk’d. As Evan Treborn however, he’s not half bad. Granted, during most of the film he’s got the same sort of confused stoner act going on that he usually does, but it’s much more bearable than usual. Perhaps that’s because the dumb factor is turned down a little and there isn’t that forced attempt to be amusing. I actually enjoyed his younger counterparts a bit more. John Patrick Amedori is Evan at the age of 13. Logan Lerman plays him at 7. Lerman was great, putting Kayleigh’s abusive father in his place. Every time I say that I detest child actors, I find one that makes me retract the comment. The other actors, young and old, are passable, but not extraordinary. My favorite side character was definately Ethan Suplee as Thumper, Evan’s heavy Goth roommate.
Whenever the subject of time travel is approached, there are invariably some kinks and paradox involved. But, aside from the inherit problems with the time travel premise, my two biggest questions were these. If Treborn retains the memory of each sequence of events following his time tampering, and does indeed have several lives full of memory crammed up in his cranium as the good doctor suggests, then why does he seem so stupefied whenever he wakes up to his new present? If he’s got all of the memories leading up to the new present, he shouldn’t be surprised to wake up in bed with no arms. Secondly, if Evan loved Kayleigh so much as to repeatedly attempt to change the future to save her, why did he leave her behind without visiting for so many years in the first place?
Despite what I’ve read in other reviews, I didn’t think that The Butterfly Effect was a bad movie. It’s a little bit mediocre as far as the acting goes, but the plot is definitely interesting. It’s entertaining to see the changes each person makes in response to their traumatic past, and each of the main events in the storyline would be truly disturbing for young people to experience. Ultimately, the movie is a bit depressing considering that each time Evan attempts to cure the present, nothing ever quite works out. I won’t give away the ending, but it’s not particularly sunny either. The depressing movies are usually the ones that keep me thinking though.
Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 1 (for cute teenage Evan)
Alternate recommendation: The Mothman Prophecies
Official site
IMDB page
A.V. Club review
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