The butterfly effect

Year of release : 2004

Run time : 2h

Genre : Thriller / Sci Fi

Cast : Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, Kevin Durand

Evan doesn't have many memories of his childhood. He was friends with a brother and sister,Tommy and Kayleigh,and Lenny. Tommy was unhinged,as his father molested him and his sister. Tommy's behavior becomes more and more disturbing as he forces them to witness whatever evil plans he comes up with,like putting dyn@mite in a family's mail box, and setting a dog on f1re.

All this really messed up Lenny, who is now in a world of his own.

 

Now in college, Evan remembers his childhood friends by finding one of his diaries, and starting to read it. The moment he does, he teleports into the past, inhabiting his younger body,with present day's mind. He decides to put things right, like scaring Kayleigh's father into staying away from her, but that makes it worse for Tommy.

Back in the present, Evan is in a fraternity, and is dating Kayleigh who is in a sorority. Her brother gets out of jail and comes for Evan. Fighting him, Evan k!lls him. And ends up in jail.

He convinces his mother to bring him his diaries,but a prison gang takes them from him. After he convinces his religious prison friend to help him,by going back in time and st@bbing his hands,he gets his hands on his diary, reads it, and goes back in time.

Problem is, the more he goes back in time, to fix things, to help someone,he makes it worse for someone else, and even for himself.

It almost feels like destiny or a higher power doesn't want him to change events, and the more he changes them,the worse it is for him.

This was one of my favorite movies,20 years ago, I have the original video tape,and I watched it so many times. Watching it now, I couldn't believe this was one of my favorite movies, although I still enjoyed it , as things got from bad to worse for most of the characters and especially the lead, as I hate it when things go from worse to worst, and that didn't bother me. I guess the movie has to have a hint of science fiction.

 

The actors were great,most of them,excepting Ashton Kutcher, had to play their character going completely different paths, going from good to bad, like for example, Amy Smart had to play Kayleigh at first as a waitress, then sorority girl, then a drug addict and a prostitute,ending up as Lenny's girlfriend. Tommy goes from being an enraged criminal to a good, religious person.

Lenny,again, goes from being shut in,unable to communicate with people,to a normal person.

So many layers of the same character ,being a different person due to events happening in their lives.

The visual effects were good.

The soundtrack was good.

The movie had negative reviews, but grossed 96.8 million dollars against a budget of 13 million, and won a few awards, being nominated for quite a few more.

Cinema Score audiences gave the movie a B+ on an A+ to F scale.

The movie is for free on Hoopla, and for rent / sale on Amazon, AppleTv, Fandango at Home.

Rating : Worth a watch !