With the recent celebration of Father’s Day in the United States last Sunday, the link between father and son brought the Gregory Hoblit produced and directed movie Frequency (2000) to mind. Recommended to me by Engineered Tire Friend, the movie entertains a unique premise linking father and son across time in their Queens, New York home separated by 30 years.
The bond between firefighter Frank Sullivan and his son John Francis (Johnny) Sullivan, a policeman, was clear and strong from the moment we met the pair. The 6-year-old son and his father bonded over the New York Mets, who faced the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series. It was a particularly intense appearance of an aurora that connects Frank with his son, 30-years into the future over a single-sideband ham radio. Dennis Quiad, Jim Caviezel and Daniel Henson portrayed Frank Sullivan, John Sullivan as an adult, and 6-year-old Johnny Sullivan, respectively.
John Sullivan and Frank Sullivan happen to have the unusual ability to speak over the ham radio, with the unusual effect of the son getting to save his father’s life. The realization that the pair is speaking of the 1969 World Series in the present tense of 1999, serves up the miracle of John saving his father’s life by relating advice for how to make a different decision in the fire that had killed Frank and truncated John’s emotional growth. A serious side effect is enabled, drawing in Julia Sullivan, Satch DeLeon and Gordo Hersch, John’s mother, John’s boss on the police force, and John’s neighbor and friend. Elizabeth Mitchell, Andre Braugher and Noah Emmerich portrayed Julia, Satch and Gordo, respectively. Michael Cera portrayed Gordy Hersch, Gordo’s son, while Stephen Joffe portrayed 6-year-old Gordo Hersch.
It is the ongoing ham radio link that enables the evolving memory of John, as a policeman in 1999, to realize how life has been changing as he is connected to his father. The connection leads to an evolving case of crime with multiple victims, without a clear understanding for why the simple fact of Frank’s life would have an impact on that crime. The drama commences, bringing into focus the experiences of policeman Jack Shepard, Satch DeLeon, and others closest to John in the two timelines. The underlying drama offers an engaging story of familial love, justice, and the lengths to go in pursuing justice. Jack Shepard was portrayed by Shawn Doyle.
Toby Emmerich had screenwriting and producer credit in bringing Frequency to the big screen. There’s a sweetness underpinning the mystery and dramatic underpinnings connecting the film. While there is an element of the film trying to be more things than it really needed to be, the core storylines pleasantly and surprisingly come together in offering a whole that exceeds the parts. I grant the Gregory Hoblit movie Frequency 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.
Matt – Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Matt Lynn Digital 