Knowing (2009)

M.I.T. professor John Koestler links a mysterious list of numbers from a time capsule to past and future disasters and sets out to prevent the ultimate catastrophe.

Director:

Alex Proyas

Writers:

Ryne Douglas Pearson (screenplay), Juliet Snowden (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	John Koestler
Chandler Canterbury	...	Caleb Koestler
Rose Byrne	...	Diana
Lara Robinson	...	Abby / Lucinda
D.G. Maloney	...	The Stranger
Nadia Townsend	...	Grace
Alan Hopgood	...	Reverend Koestler
Adrienne Pickering	...	Allison
Joshua Long	...	Younger Caleb
Danielle Carter	...	Miss Taylor (1959)
Alethea McGrath	...	Miss Taylor (2009)
David Lennie	...	Principal Clark (1959)
Tamara Donnellan	...	Lucinda's Mother
Travis Waite	...	Lucinda's Father
Ben Mendelsohn	...	Phil Beckman

Storyline

In the fall of 1959, for a time capsule, students draw pictures of life as they imagine it will be in 50 years. Lucinda, an odd child who hears voices, swiftly writes a long string of numbers. In 2009, the capsule is opened; student Caleb Koestler gets Lucinda's "drawing" and his father John, an astrophysicist and grieving widower, takes a look. He discovers dates of disasters over the past 50 years with the number who died. Three dates remain, all coming soon. He investigates, learns of Lucinda, and looks for her family. He fears for his son, who's started to hear voices and who is visited by a silent stranger who shows him a vision of fire and destruction. What's going on?

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Plot Keywords:

end of the world | number | disaster | time capsule | code | 

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Taglines:

Knowing is Everything...

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Summit Entertainment [United States]

Country:

USA UK Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Know1ng

Filming Locations:

Camberwell High School, Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,604,751, 22 March 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$79,957,634

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$183,593,586

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment,Escape Artists,Mystery Clock Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

(at around 5 mins) The text of the time capsule plaque reads, "We, the inaugural grade class of William Dawes Elementary School, in the year of 1959 A.D., hereby commit our visions of the future as a token of hope and friendship toward our successors, the class of 2009 A.D."

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Goofs

Right after the subway crash sequence, the camera moves up into a wide shot. You can clearly see that the fire engine is shaking because the tracking of the digital truck does not fit perfectly.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Miss Taylor: Everyone inside now!

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Connections

Featured in Knowing All: The Making of a Futuristic Thriller (2009)

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Soundtracks

Beethoven Symphony No 7 in A Major, Op 92 (1811-12) 2nd Movement: Allegretto
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Sydney Scoring Orchestra

User Reviews

Wow! Outstanding in every way.

I went to see this because Roger Ebert gave this a 4/4 stars. I completely agree. This is an amazing science fiction movie, with some fresh twists on the genre that makes it amazing.

An MIT science teacher (Nick Cage) disillusioned by his wife's death, now believes in randomness. One day, he is confronted by mysterious events. A document found by his son in a time capsule seems to predict the dates of catastrophes. In his struggle to interpret the meanings and magnitude of the events and warn society of them, he comes across a profound and terrifying insight into what may lie in the future. His effort to save his son and loved ones becomes his desperate objective. I won't give away the ending, but trust me, this is one well made, sophisticated picture.

This story is filled with suspense, great terror, and frighting scenes that have deep emotional impact. The sound effects are awesome. There are some crashes in here that rocked the theater, and filled every expectation I have of well filmed disasters. The visual effects are superb and emotionally powerful.

If you are a picky film goer like me, you'll be delighted with this. Not only worth your money, but worth your time. This moved along with speed and excitement, and I got lost in it. Everyone in the theater was gasping in exhilaration when the credits rolled. Amazing! Don't miss it!