Phenomenon
29. Jul, 2010 
10 Comments
Phenomenon
Hollywood favorite John Travolta (SWORDFISH, PULP FICTION) stars in this acclaimed, uplifting story of an ordinary man transformed by extraordinary events! On the night of his 37th birthday, George Malley (Travolta) is knocked to the ground by a mysterious, blinding light and suddenly develops amazing mental abilities! With his newfound knowledge, George astounds everyone in town. But when his incredible powers cause even his oldest friends to turn away, George comes to realize that his wondrous
Rating: 
(out of 90 reviews)
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Price: $ 5.74
Iron Jawed Angels
Oscar-winner Hilary Swank stars in a fresh and contemporary look at a pivotal event in American history, telling the true story of how a pair of defiant and brilliant young activists took the women’s suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote. DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:With Director Katja von Garnier and writer Sally Robinson
Featurette
Other:HBO Films Spot
The fight for women’s voting rights has rarely been given as dram
Rating: (out of 142 reviews)
List Price: $ 9.98
Price: $ 3.28
Review by Eduardo Nietzsche for Phenomenon
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I came to this film with low expectations, seeing as how it only has a 53% positive RottenTomatoes.com rating and a lot of critics panned it as being corny and sentimental.
Actually this is a very good film, largely carried by the strong cast of John Travolta, Kyra Sedgewick, Forest Whitaker and Robert Duvall. Yes there are a few corny moments especially towards the end but they were forgivably brief not tediously drawn out, compared to your typical Hollywood tearjerker which this is not. I won’t give away the ending except to say that it is not one of your dime a dozen and-they-lived-happily-ever-after things.
“Phenomenon” actually has a lot of Eastern philosophy behind it—the idea that we are all connected at a deep cosmic and psychical level which most of us never imagine nor dare to access, as well as the New Ageish belief that we only use about 10% of our brains’ full capabilities.
Travolta is known to be a Scientologist, which made me wonder a little how much that might have influenced this film which is nowhere near as kooky as your standard Scientology doctrine which you can get from L. Ron Hubbard’s infamous (science fiction) book, “Dianetics.”
Review by James D. Eret for Phenomenon
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I took me awhile to catch on to the John Travolta “comeback.” Always a good actor, he is trancendent in “Phenomenon.” Taking his character of George, struck by a mysterious light, and turning him from an average man to a genius, could have been an actor’s trap. Travolta makes it his triumph. He gives George such a humanity that even with the genius powers we are aware that George of old is still there, trying to desparately to just be his old self, and only the girl he longs for, played excellently by Kyra Segwick seems to understand his wanting to remain the same, no matter how many “miracles” he performs. So many films like this are too serious, use too many special effects, or are just plain ridiculous. Travolta great performance seems to lift the entire genre and wins us over like he does Segwick and her two children. The supporting cast is excellent, especially Robert Duvall, who does miraculous things with the town doctor. Forrest Whittiker is also good as George’s best friend. The town accepts the miracles like no other movie town does. Yes, they are in awe, but they still doubt, as George doubts, that he was given a gift as a mistake, but when all is said and done, we know the “bright light” made the right choice, that he was able to even handle his own mortality. There is a scene near the end of the movie, when George is sharing his last moments and an apple with the two young children, that is as moving as any I’ve seen in recent memory. Some may see “Phenomenon” as too far-fetched or mauldlin, and if so they are as jaded as many movie goers are getting. What does an audience want? Here is a movie without much violence, blood, or spectacular special effects and does have a message but does not force it on you, how all of us have the possibility to be more than we think, that there is genius on a small scale, in the feelings for love, simple pleasures, sharing an apple with children, or facing one’s own mortality without fear. A great Movie.
Review by Michael J Edelman for Phenomenon
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Phenomeonon was advertised as a sci-fi movie, and whilke it has a sci-fi sort of theme at its core, anyone going to see the movie based on that was sorely disappointed. What this movie is, actually, is a story about a man learning to cope with something that he can’t understand, and how it brings him closer to his friends and his community, and how it allows him to understand and deal with his own fate.Yes, it’s a bit sappy at times, but it also contains some really excellent performances. Travolta delivers what it certainly his most authentic and touching portrayal of a real human being yet seen in his post-Tarantino career. Forrest Whittaker and Robert Duvall likewise contribute first-rate performances. A wonderful contemporary soundtrack ties it all together.
Review by Bob Dog for Phenomenon
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I thoroughly enjoyed Phenomenon, which I found to be an unusually graceful, warm, and genuine movie. Sure, it had flaws, and one could take issue with a variety of departures from reality. But the characters genuinely care for each other and the dialoge and behavior carefully reflect that. I didn’t try to take it too seriously, as I fell in love with George, the Dr., and Lace. George genuinely cares about his friends. The Dr., played wonderfully by the great Robert Duvall, understands people, and Lace is over the top sexy ( like some jewish women I have known…can Sedgwick be a jewish name?) I thought the writing was great. How about George teaching Nate the portuguese language? Marvelous! The little details and cinematography were very well done in this picture. Kudos to the writer, director, and the guys behind the cameras.
An added bonus is the soundtrack, which throughly enhances the movie at every turn. Well done. My final comment is absolutly true – I could watch this movie a hundred times. I’m remodeling a house, and I play it in the background some days, so I’ve already seen it at least a dozen times.
Many thanks.
Review by for Phenomenon
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The phenomenon about Phenomenon is that it wasn’t more of a hit at the box office! I found this movie to be extremely “watchable,” and if you harbor any lingering doubts about Travolta’s acting abilities, this movie will extinguish them for good! Travolta delivers a stirring performance as George, and ordinary guy who gains extraordinary powers after being struck on the eve of his thirty-seventh birthday by a mysterious blinding light, out of the blue. George then gains superior mental abilities, which, ironically, meet with many negative consequences in the small town where he lives. This movie is very haunting; it definitely stays with you. It is also DEFINITELY worth seeing, and makes a beautifully unique addition to any movie collection.
Review by Linda Linguvic for Iron Jawed Angels
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This 2004 HBO movie depicts the struggles of the early suffragette movement, which eventually gave women in the United States the right to vote. Spanning the years from 1912 to 1920, it stars Hilary Swank as Alice Paul who led the fight with ultimate courage. There’s some interesting history of which I was unaware. And the filmmakers seem to get the theme across. At the time, it was a state-by-state decision as to whether or not women could vote. But Alice Paul wanted to make it a constitutional amendment. There is, of course, is in-fighting in the movement itself with the old factions, led by Anjelica Huston, as Carrie Chapman Catt, preferring to not make a fuss and quietly let each state decide. Alice Paul, however, confronted the establishment head on and brought down some dour consequences on herself and the group of women who followed her lead.
At first I was annoyed at the film. I felt their wardrobes too lavish and the potential romance between Alice and a Washington Post cartoonist was silly. I also thought the women seemed a bit too modern and politically correct. And, frankly, I thought of turning off my DVD and never reviewing this film.
But then there was a scene in which the police turned their backs on protecting a festive parade in which women and children were demonstrating. When the mobs attacked the women I felt real tears dripping down my face. And then, later, when the women were horribly mistreated in prison, I found myself crying again, especially when they force-fed Alice Paul and we see them pushing tubes down her throat and through her nose. By the end of the film I understood exactly what these brave women had gone through in order to give me a privilege that I take for granted. I also know that I have learned a new appreciation for my right to vote and will never take that right for granted again.
While not perfect, I applaud this film. It brought me a new understanding. It will bring it to you too. Recommended.
Review by Robin Orlowski for Iron Jawed Angels
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Only because Mary Poppins was released during the beginning of America’s second wave of feminism was its `sister suffragettes’ number inspiring during that film.
Yet the 1964 snippet of British suffrage tactics completely and convieniently overlooked their radical strategies in favor of bouncy and pert cheerleading which could otherwise found at a high school game. While acknowledging the need for women’s rights, that same film also presented the women as pampered housewives who were really too busy for their families.
Thank goodness this HBO movie is much more realistic about the American-British radical suffrage struggle.
Alice Paul (Hillary Swank) and company may be conventionally attractive, but they are also not afraid to show how openly ticked off they are about being held to laws they cannot help form.
Much to the chagrin of the older `respectable’ American suffragists (who want to wait for men to give them the vote), the British experience encourages demand for full sociopolitical equality. When they are jailed for their convictions, the women refuse to eat. By our modern expectations, the prison response (shown in graphic detail) is especially brutal.
For all of their progressive politics, Paul and company downplay race ironically in a time when such justice is most needed. Paul personally welcomes support of Delta Sigma Theta and other African American organizations, but worries their public presence will either undo or prevent the critical southern support necessary to winning suffrage. It is not easy to admit that our movement has an imperfect past, but it is important to ensuring a socially just future for all members. This conciousness is a marked improvement from days when even feminists themselves assumed their experiences applied for all women and race was a separate issue.
Another plus, this same movie recognizes men have always supported the suffrage movement not because they wanted a partner, already had one, or were lobbied until they had no other public choice—but out of similar social justice concern.
Again, earlier suffrage depictions (as with the larger feminist movement) erroneously claimed that the movement was all women. This more accurate historical picture may convince male viewers they have a similar obligation to work for the continuation of modern women’s equality. Other men will question their motives and some women will question their sincerity. But equality is really everybody’s fight.
Attending a college, which was founded by many suffragists, the emphasis on women college graduates (then a statistical minority) was especially sobering. Despite our current knowledge of women’s studies and gender theory, I don’t think my generation (including myself) appreciates how fortunate we are when we would have been jeered at in earlier generations for receiving a college degree. After seeing this movie, I walked across my own campus trying to imagine some of the local townspeople (opposed to the idea of women receiving a college education in their town) threatening us on a near constant basis.
Precisely because Paul’s Equal Rights Amendment was not ratified by the required states by the 1982 deadline, the film ends on a melancholy note. Paul’s work remains half-finished and we have moral obligation to ensure the ERA becomes part of the constitution.
Encouraging viewers to complete the revolution, the movie turns armchair loungers into activists.
Review by Anne Turring for Iron Jawed Angels
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As a big fan of historical films, I always get nervous before seeing a movie whose subject is one that I am passionate about. Therefore I was quite apprehensive about this movie.
Turns out, it was the best pull off of all suffrace films. Touching and accurate, with the right amount of heart, humour, and intelligence, this movie made for an enjoyable and educating experience. It reminded me why I am glad to be a woman.
Review by mirasreviews for Iron Jawed Angels
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“Iron Jawed Angels” dramatizes the last leg of the fight to win the right to vote for American women. It focuses on the work of young suffragettes Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Conner) from their arrival in Washington, D.C. in 1912 until just before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920. Paul and Burns represented the younger generation of suffragettes who were less willing to bide their time playing politics until the nation’s politicians came around to their way of thinking. They were brash, bold, brave and so self-righteous that they must have thought themselves invincible. But the time for extreme tactics had come, and even picketing President Woodrow Wilson during the US’s involvement in World War I ultimately produced good results, though at a high price. “Iron Jawed Angels” follows Paul and Burns’ fight for the vote through their atttention-stealing Inauguration Day parade in 1912, attempts to lobby Congress, their split with the National Women’s Suffrage Association, formation of the National Women’s Party, their 1916 cross-country trip to rally voters against any Democratic candidate who opposed a constitutional amendment giving women the vote, and their imprisonment for picketing a wartime president and subsequent hunger strike. There is constant strife between Alice Paul and the older generation of suffragettes, who are experienced in the ways of government and politically savvy, but disdain the obnoxious tactics that the younger generation embrace. Most notable of the older generation of suffragettes is Carrie Chapman Catt, played to perfection by Angelica Huston, who is imposing and clever, if old-fashioned.
Director Katja von Garnier has brought this story to life with a stellar cast and contemporary style. The film and sound editing are bold. The soundtrack is modern and upbeat. I questioned that decision when I first heard contemporary pop sounds pumping as Alice Paul crossed a street in 1912. But the style grew on me, and I came to appreciate the director’s unconventional but oddly effective choices in scoring the film. The cast is great. Hilary Swank hits just the right note as Alice Paul -over and over again. I have never liked Frances O’Conner in anything, but she’s perfect as Lucy Burns. It’s a joy to hear Anjelica Huston speak as Carrie Chapman Catt, even if she is a stuffy character. Molly Parker gives perhaps the most emotionally affecting performance as Emily Leighton, wife of Senator Thomas Leighton, who supported the suffrage cause against her husband’s wishes. Hers is an Oscar-calibre performance. Julia Ormond and Bob Gunton are also notable as suffragette Inez Mulholland and Pres. Woodrow Wilson, respectively. “Iron Jawed Angels” creatively and passionately presents the victory for women’s suffrage and the story of those who fought and won it.
The DVD: There is an audio commentary by director Katja von Garnier and screenwriter Sally Robinson. The commentary is very casual and discusses filming and sound editing decisions and recounts a few anecdotes. It’s honestly not very informative or interesting. No need to feel you missed anything if you skip it. Subtitles for the film are available in English, Spanish, and French. Dubbing is available in Spanish and French.
Review by PluckyDog for Iron Jawed Angels
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I loved this movie – it was eloquently written, cast, and filmed. The acting was beautiful, smart, and memorable. The filming talent was flawless. I’ve seen it 4 times now, and I am still deeply moved every time. I can’t wait until it comes out on video – I’ll be among the first to purchase it!