Movie :: Phenomenon

Hey you guys!

Since someone requested for me to write more about my favorite movies, I wanted to write about Phenomenon. Many many people who I know watched this movie, and they said that we fell asleep through the movie. They find it too serious, mundane, no excitement, bad soundtrack and plain boring! But to me, it is a movie that speaks out to me and I love it! Phenomenon was released in 1996 and it stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker and Robert Duvall.

It is about this one simple man, George, who lives in a countryside. His best friend, Nate, is a farmer who fails miserably to grow healthy crops. In this town moves a woman, Lace, with two kids in tow, having left her husband. George tries his best to get to know Lace, but Lace refuses to meet any new men because she is still hurting from her previous relationship.

On George's birthday, as he stumbles out drunk after the party, he sees this bright light in the outer sky. Soon, the light draws closer and George is struck by this mysterious light. George is blinded for a few seconds and falls to the ground. Soon he re-enters the restaurant, and starts telling people about the light he saw. In the midst of it, he moves around the chess pieces that two people are playing and in one simple moves checkmates one player. No one in the restaurant believes George and think he is drunk. George goes home and is restless. He starts reading books. He starts inventing things. He can begins to predict earthquakes. He devises products to help his friend grow healthy crops. He also begins to understand the people around him.

But, despite George's ability to do great things, some people misunderstand him and try to move him away from themselves. Soon he is losing out on his friends and no one wants to be with George. In an accident, he hurts himself and sees the mysterious light disappear. Later in the hospital, he is told that he has brain tumor. I will not spoil the ending for you. Why I like this movie is because it speaks to me. In some ways, I can relate to George.

I used to be someone who would fail to understand things around me in this world. Living in Saudi Arabia, under such a sheltered and comfortable life, I had no idea of the big bad world out there. Once I left, I learnt new things and over the years developed myself into the person I am today. Sure there are some people who do not like the way I am, since I would not join with them in smoking, drinking and drugs, or share their passion for pornography. Because I choose to do this, the other people choose to not hang out with me. So anyways, I can go on and on about the whole thing, but I just wanted to let you know why I like the movie Phenomenon so much. Plus, it has one of the best songs, Change the World by Eric Clapton and one of my favorite love songs Crazy Love by Aaron Neville.

Ok guys, I am out of here!

Mansur