Phenomenon (1996)
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An amiable, small-town everyman is inexplicably transformed into a genius with telekinetic powers after a mysterious encounter with a ball of light.
The story
George Malley, an auto mechanic in a small town in Northern California, lives a quiet life until he is struck by a mysterious ball of light in the sky. Following this event, he begins to exhibit extraordinary intelligence, the ability to learn languages in minutes, and telekinetic powers. While he attempts to use his new abilities to help his community and improve the lives of those around him, his sudden transformation causes concern among his neighbors and draws the attention of the authorities. As his powers grow, George must navigate the complexities of his new reality while trying to maintain his relationships and find a way to help others.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being struck by a mysterious light, George Malley, a California mechanic, gains superhuman intelligence and telekinesis. He uses these gifts to help his community, such as creating a new fertilizer and predicting an earthquake. However, his abilities draw scrutiny from the FBI and local residents. After a public demonstration at a county fair leads to a medical crisis, it is discovered he has a brain tumor. Despite being told he has a low chance of survival, he escapes a hospital to spend his final moments with his loved ones. He passes away, leaving behind his research for others to continue his work. A year later, his impact on the town is evident as his friends and neighbors continue to live by the changes he initiated.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jon Turteltaub
- Writers
- Gerald Di Pego · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Travolta · George Malley; Kyra Sedgwick · Lace; Forest Whitaker; Robert Duvall; Jeffrey DeMunn
- Genres
- romantic fantasy drama
- Themes
- transformation; acceptance; love
- Tone and mood
- romantic; fantasy
- Setting
- A town in Northern California.
- Premise and plot tags
- telekinesis; super-intelligence
- Reception
- The film received mixed or average reviews from critics, with a 49% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 41% score on Metacritic. Audience members gave it a favorable 'A-' grade.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 49% · review count: 37; Metacritic · score: 41% · review count: 17
- Production trivia
- The script was influenced by the philosophy of Zen.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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