Frequency (2000)

An accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father's life, but then must fix the consequences.

Director:

Gregory Hoblit

Writer:

Toby Emmerich

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Shawn Doyle

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Frank Sullivan
Jim Caviezel	...	John Sullivan
Shawn Doyle	...	Jack Shepard
Elizabeth Mitchell	...	Julia Sullivan
Andre Braugher	...	Satch DeLeon
Noah Emmerich	...	Gordo Hersch
Melissa Errico	...	Samantha Thomas
Daniel Henson	...	Johnny Sullivan (6 Years)
Jordan Bridges	...	Graham Gibson
Stephen Joffe	...	Gordo Hersch (8 Years)
Jack McCormack	...	Commander Butch O'Connell
Peter MacNeill	...	Butch Foster
Michael Cera	...	Gordy Jr. (10 Years)
Marin Hinkle	...	Sissy Clark
Richard Sali	...	Chuck Hayes

Storyline

A rare atmospheric phenomenon allows a New York City firefighter to communicate with his son 30 years in the future via HAM radio. The son uses this opportunity to warn the father of his impending death in a warehouse fire, and manages to save his life. However, what he does not realize is that changing history has triggered a new set of tragic events, including the murder of his mother. The two men must now work together, 30 years apart, to find the murderer before he strikes so that they can change history--again.

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Plot Keywords:

altering history | ham radio | vigilantism | warehouse | butterfly effect | 

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Taglines:

What If You Could Reach Back In Time? What If You Could Change The Past?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense violence and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prava frekvencija

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,025,584, 30 April 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$45,010,278

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$68,106,245

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A Montecristo cigar box is shown. Jim Cavizel played The Count of Monte Cristo.

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Goofs

In their first conversation via amateur radio, Frank tells John that he can't "broadcast" without a license. No ham would refer to two-way communication as a broadcast. The FCC rules that you have to learn in order to get your license specify that you cannot "broadcast."

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Quotes

John Sullivan: You gotta be more careful, cause I can't lose you again. Not like that.
Frank Sullivan: You won't John. You won't. I swear to God, no matter what. You got it? You hear me?
John Sullivan: I hear you.
Frank Sullivan: So how old are you?
John Sullivan: I'm 36.
Frank Sullivan: 36. You're all grown up. You must be married and everything.
John Sullivan: No, I'm not married.
Frank Sullivan: What? Too busy playing ball?
John Sullivan: It didn't work out. I gave it up.
Frank Sullivan: What happened?
[...]

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Connections

Features The Dick Cavett Show (1968)

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Soundtracks

Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Written by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer
Arranged by Carly Simon and Matthias Gohl (as Teese Gohl)
Performed by Carly Simon
Courtesy of The Baseball Film Project, Inc.
By Arrangement with Florentine Films

User Reviews

Great!

The movie opens with the introduction of the Sullivan family. Frank (Dennis Quaid) is a heroic New York firefighter, and escapes a harrowing situation to return home to his wife and his 6-year-old son John. It's an exciting time in New York, as the 'Miracle Mets' have made the World Series. Frank is a ham radio user, and a strange disturbance in the sky (solar flares, I believe. I never took astronomy) in the sky has really increased the range of his radio. "I'm reaching people I've never reached before", he says. Flash forward to 1999, when young John has grown up into a 36-year-old NY homicide detective (James Caviezel) with relational problems (and possibly a drinking problem as well). We learn his father died several years earlier in a warehouse fire, and it's obvious that John has never really gotten over it. He ends up setting up the old ham radio (did I mention that the solar flares are back?), and contacts a fellow New Yorker named Frank. It certainly won't ruin any big surprise when I tell you that it's his father Frank--in 1969. After recovering from his astonishment and convincing his father who he really is (his knowledge of the 1969 World Series proves quite helpful), they begin a series of nightly conversations. Unfortunately, their conversations change the past--and the future--in very dangerous ways. A serial killer who should only have 3 victims suddenly has more, and John must use his knowledge of the crimes (30 years old to him) to guide his dad in a 1969 pursuit of the killer. And the chase is on. Will they stop the killer? Will the solar flares last long enough for them to finish their plan? Will anyone in 1999 or 1969 believe them? That lengthy 'plot summary' really didn't ruin any of the suspense--or come close to explaining the whole story. So, it goes without saying that the story is pretty convoluted and involved. But it's not hard to follow, and the movie grabbed me and kept me interested throughout. Granted, you will need to use a serious amount of 'suspension of disbelief'. If you get hung up on "there's no way they could be talking to each other" or "changes in the past wouldn't immediately appear in the future--they would have already happened and would have been there all along", you'll do 2 things: (1) you'll give yourself a headache, and (2) you'll miss out on a very entertaining film. The reason I gave this more stars than last week's "U-571"? I cared about the characters, and I found "Frequency" much more entertaining. Also, the story was quite original--with great use of the Miracle Mets and the 1969 World Series throughout.