Film Review: The Butterfly Effect (2004)

4 months ago

(source: tmdb.org)

One of the most annoying things about modern Hollywood is its apparent inability to properly use intriguing or promising ideas. It is even sadder when it happens with films that show not only great promise but signs that someone has actually put some sort of creative effort in them. One such example can be found in The Butterfly Effect, 2004 science fiction drama written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber.

Title refers to concept associated with chaos theory, based on idea that seemingly insignificant or inconsequential events, like, for example, single butterfly flapping its wings in China, can have profound consequences, like, for example, causing tornado in the other part of the world. This concept is something that Evan Treborn (played by Ashton Kutcher), 21-year old college student and the protagonist, would encounter when subjected to strange phenomenon related to his mysterious condition that plagued him since he was seven years old and growing up in upstate New York. The symptoms were mostly in form of blackouts, which were later revealed to be results of various traumatic events he had witnessed with his childhood friends Lenny Kagan (played by Elden Hanson), Kayleigh Miller (played by Amy Smart) and Kayleigh’s brother Tommy (played by William Lee Scott). Doctors failed to find physical cause for Evan’s condition, but they instead encouraged him to write diary. Seven years have passed without blackouts, but Evan, who is a psychology major, has dedicated much of his time to study the phenomena. While rereading his journals he discovers ability not only to relive his past, but actually travel in time and, armed with prior knowledge, change his past. His interventions, however, almost always have unintended consequences resulting in crippling injuries, lifelong traumas, incarcerations or death among his friends. In order to correct those mistakes, partly motivated by the love he feels for Kayleigh, Evan keeps returning and trying to set things right.

Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, until this film best known as the scriptwriters for Final Destination 2, didn’t have idea that could be described the most original. Many would call it some sort of variation of Groundhog Day or Sliding Doors, but it can also be viewed expression of almost universal desire of every human to alter the past or at least ponder whether his or her life would have been better or worse if some of the choices were made differently. Bress and Gruber don’t bother with any kind of scientific or parascientific explanation for the phenomenon, but the concept is handled in reasonably convincing manner. The budget limitations, on the other hand, also limit the scope of Evan’s interventions, with newly created parallel universes resembling each other too much and Lenny, Kayleigh and Tommy, among other things, finding ways to attend Evan’s college. On the other hand, Bress and Gruber try to compensate this with increased melodrama and Evan and his friends being subjected by childhood and adolescent traumas that involve sexual abuse, parents in mental institutions, pets being burned alive or witnessing innocent people blown to bits in a prank gone tragically wrong. This results in film being generally dark, and at times exploitative, especially in scene that feature violence and some nudity. Apparently unable to find proper way to end it, Bress and Gruber decide to have Evan make final sacrifice that would bring some sort of bittersweet closure and probably make most viewers unsatisfied.

More obvious problem of The Butterfly Effect is casting of Ashton Kutcher as protagonist. The actor, who was at the time best known as iconic and popular star of television comedies and who would later earn extra fame as briefly being the most followed person on Twitter, valiantly tries to prove himself as serious dramatic actor, but this effort generally fails. This is partly due to comparisons with other members of the cast that deliver much better job, especially Elden Hanson (later best known as Foggy Nelson in Netflix version of Daredevil) and charming Amy Smart, who play multiple versions of the same character. Even young Logan Lerman as younger Evan makes better impression than Kutcher, and same can be said about Eric Stoltz as creepy Mr. Miller and Melora Walters as Evan’s long suffering mother.

Critics didn’t like The Butterfly Effect, but it did little impact on audience that flocked to theatres, partly on the account of Kutcher’s popularity. This success isn’t exactly undeserved because, despite some conceptual flaws, the film is solid and entertaining, at least for the fans of the genre. The success also reflected in two generally inferior sequels - Butterfly Effect 2 released in 2006, and Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations, released in 2009.

RATING: 5/10 (++)