Editorial Reviews:
Description
Hollywood favorite John Travolta (SWORDFISH, PULP FICTION) stars in this acclaimed, uplifting story of an ordinary man transformed by extraordinary events! On the night of his 37th birthday, George Malley (Travolta) is knocked to the ground by a mysterious, blinding light and suddenly develops amazing mental abilities! With his newfound knowledge, George astounds everyone in town. But when his incredible powers cause even his oldest friends to turn away, George comes to realize that his wondrous experience has changed him and the lives of everyone around him forever. With an outstanding supporting cast featuring Robert Duvall (SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT), Forest Whitaker (SPECIES), and Kyra Sedgwick (SINGLES) -- don't miss this must-see motion picture event!
Amazon.com
John Travolta's should've-been-nominated-for-an-Oscar performance is the best reason to see this largely moving work, which is a little reminiscent of the novel iFlowers for Algernon/i (basis for the film iCharly/i). Travolta plays a mechanic who sees a bright light in the sky one night and wakes up the next morning a genius, hungry for knowledge and so smart he figures out national defense secrets in his own living room (and gets in hot water for it). The more interesting drama, however, is not with the government but with the character's longtime neighbors and friends, who come to reject him for being different. Robert Duvall gives a stirring performance as a doctor who has known the hero all his life, and Kyra Sedgwick is very good as an ambivalent love interest. If you missed this one in the theaters, then you haven't seen one of Travolta's best performances since his comeback. The DVD release presents a widescreen image, optional French soundtrack, optional Spanish subtitles, and theatrical trailer. I--Tom Keogh/I
