Frequency

2000 Fantasy

Known more for his dark, psychological crime thrillers Primal Fear (1996) and Fallen (1998), director Gregory Hoblit surprisingly created this Frank Capra-meets-Rod Serling-style fantasy that mixes several genres of storytelling into a likable stew. James Caviezel stars as John Sullivan, a New York police detective who has never recovered from the death of his father Frank (Dennis Quaid), a firefighter who died heroically when John was a boy. Experimenting with his dad's beloved ham radio one summer night, extreme sunspot activity allows John to contact Frank 30 years in the past. Since he's able to warn Frank away from danger, his father's death never occurs. Then the unthinkable happens: John's altered future is one in which his mother Julia (Elizabeth Mitchell) has been murdered by a serial killer. Now John in the present and Frank in the past must try to solve the riddle of the killer's identity and change the time line again. Frequency was written by Toby Emmerich, the brother of actor Noah Emmerich, who appears in a supporting role created specifically for him. more..

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Starring: Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel, Shawn Doyle,Andre Braugher, Elizabeth Mitchell

Reviews

  • Likely to appeal to the fans of "The Sixth Sense," "Ghost" and other movies where the characters find a loophole in reality. What it also has in common with those two movies is warmth and emotion.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • May be the first time travel fantasy to move grown fellows with 401(k) accounts to tears.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • A fairly wonderful movie about fathers and sons and the mystery of time.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • Enough originality and emotional weight to keep you engrossed even when it lapses into some pretty standard moves at the end.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    26 April 2013

  • Corny and far-fetched it may be, but Frequency works - except for some stretches when it doesn't.

    Mark Caro - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Fantasy Film

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2001)

  • Favorite Supporting Actor - Suspense

    Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2001)

  • Best Original Song - Motion Picture

    Golden Globes (2001)

     
  • Best Dramatic Presentation

    Hugo Awards (2001)

     
  • Best Original Song

    Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (2001)