Blast from the Past (1999)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Hugh Wilson

Writers (WGA):

Bill Kelly (story)
Bill Kelly (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She was a woman of the world. He had never been around the block.

Plot:

A romantic comedy about a naive man who comes out into the world after being in a nuclear fallout shelter for 35 years.

Plot Keywords:

Naive Man | Naive | 1960s | Bomb Shelter | Food

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Brendan Fraser	...	Adam
Alicia Silverstone	...	Eve
Christopher Walken	...	Calvin
Sissy Spacek	...	Helen
Dave Foley	...	Troy
Joey Slotnick	...	Soda Jerk
Dale Raoul	...	Mom
Hayden Tank	...	Adam age 3 1 / 2
Douglas Smith	...	Adam age 11
Ryan Sparks	...	Adam age 8
Don Yesso	...	Jerry
Scott Thomson	...	Young Psycho
Ted Kairys	...	Navy Pilot
Rex Linn	...	Dave
Cynthia Mace	...	Betty

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language, sex and drug references.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

German | English | Latin | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating) | New Zealand:M | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (#36252) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

1972 Canyon Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Forge

Trivia:

When Mr Webber first goes back up after 35 years he meets a transvestite prostitute who says to him "Like the song says, a country boy can survive". The song he was referring to was "A Country Boy Can Survive" by Hank Williams Jr..

Goofs:

Anachronisms: After the screen reads fall 1991, the scene goes into the bar. In the background, there is a kid playing a Primal Rage arcade game. Primal Rage was not released until 1994.

Quotes:

Eve: Now hold on, hold on just a minute! In the first place I do not fall in love with weirdos who I've only known for four or five days!
Troy: Yes you do.
Eve: And I don't fall in love with grown men who collect baseball cards!
Troy: Yes you do.
Eve: Or pee in their pants when they see the ocean!
Troy: Yes you do.
Eve: Or have perfect table manners!
Troy: You know, I asked him about that. He said, good manners are just a way of showing other people we have respect for them. See, I didn't know that, I thought it was just a way of acting all superior. Oh and you know what else he told me?
Eve: What?
Troy: He thinks I'm a gentleman and you're a lady.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Round and Round

I love this sweet, romantic movie!

"Blast from the Past" does what it set out to do and it does it beautifully. The whole premise (i.e., a man who was born and raised underground with no contact other than his parents for 30+ years, only to go "above" and find himself in today's world) is brilliant.

Brendan Fraser is perfect as Adam--sweet, naive, and trusting--and reinforces my feelings that he is a very underrated actor. I love Adam's reactions to modernisms that he encounters for the first time, such as the "other man's underwear" scene, the idea that Troy could have a, gasp, COMPUTER! right there in his house, or the "Well good for you!" about Troy being gay.

Alicia Silverstone is wonderful as Eve, as are Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken as Adam's parents, and the rest of the cast.

It's hard for me to grasp why some folks don't like this movie! In my opinion, it's truly refreshing to see a movie where its main character has manners and class, and does not have to rely on today's standards (such as swearing) to carry the movie.

If you're in the mood to see a cute romantic comedy, do yourself a favor and watch this movie!