''Phenomenon'' is a 1996 romantic fantasy-drama film written by Gerald Di Pego, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, and Robert Duvall.

In the film, an amiable, small-town everyman is inexplicably transformed into a genius with telekinetic powers. The original music score was composed by Thomas Newman. It was filmed in Auburn, Colfax, Davis, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, and Treasure Island, all in Northern California.

Plot summary[link]

He predicts an earthquake over the course of the following days, and starts to experience an extraordinary form of genius-level intelligence, easily absorbing vast amounts of information, formulating new, revolutionary ideas, and even exhibiting telekinetic abilities.

George tries to use his new intelligence for the good of his community. At first local town folks are intrigued and amused by George's new abilities, but as they increase, community members gradually become afraid of him, with the only exceptions being love interest Lace Pennamin (Kyra Sedgwick), town physician Doc Brunder (Robert Duvall), and best friend Nate Pope (Forest Whitaker). Matters are complicated further when the federal government begins to take an interest in his newfound genius.

While participating in a town fair, George wants to publicize his revolutionary findings to the community with the hopes to make people's lives better; instead, the townsfolk are more interested in seeing a display of his telekinesis, and a frenzied press conference ensues, overwhelming George and knocking him down. While on the ground, another great flash of light appears to George and he loses consciousness. He awakens in a hospital where Dr. Brunder explains what's been causing his change. He has an astrocytoma brain tumor that has spread out like a hand, with threads of it everywhere. But, instead of destroying brain function, so far it has been stimulating it. Thus, George has more area of active brain use than anybody ever tested because of the tentacles from the tumor.

The tumor is claimed to be what caused the dizziness and illusion of light experienced by George, rather than a mystical or extraterrestrial source, but this is never definitively concluded, leaving the viewer to speculate. As a result of the tumor, George doesn't have much time to live. Government-employed doctors propose cutting George's life even shorter by examining his brain before he can die a natural death, and argue that if he objects to their plan, the objection itself would be proof that he is mentally unfit to make such a decision, and that the government should thus proceed with the examination anyway. Held against his will — allegedly just for observation, but really until the government can put its plan into action — George eventually escapes, hoping to continue his research. He hopes that seismologist Dr. Ringold (Jeffrey DeMunn), from UC Berkeley, might continue his experiments and, ultimately, complete the research he will never get to finish.

After returning home, George gives Nate notes which basically served as a journal and gives him other notes to deliver to Doc Brunder. He then retrieves his scientific research and runs to Lace's house. There, he aims to give his final farewells to Lace and her children, Al (David Gallagher) and Glory (Ashley Buccille). When the children realize that George has returned there to die, they are emotionally overwhelmed and the boy runs off across the yard, his younger sister following. George goes to them, and comforts them by using an apple as a metaphor: no matter what, an apple will rot and decay if thrown on the ground, but if they were to take a bite out of it, the apple would become a part of them, and they would carry it with them forever. By doing this, he expresses the last wishes of a terminally ill man - that he hopes to leave those around him with some of his love and wisdom, as well as easing their sadness at his inevitable departure.

Later that day, George lays out a blanket in the shade of a tree, where he and Lace then lie down together to make love. Finally, later that same day, George tells her while they're in bed that his moment of death is imminent. With tears in her eyes, Lace professes her love for him as he quietly dies in her loving embrace.

Dr. Ringold arrives the next morning to speak with George again, but he is too late. Lace gives him George's incomplete research notebooks, indicating he'd hoped Ringold would be able to finish the scientific work.

The movie ends at George's next (posthumous) birthday party with some of his friends.

Cast[link]

Reception[link]

Similarities between the words and actions of John Travolta's character George and those of the Church of Scientology, a group to which Travolta belongs, have been remarked upon in the press. The film was a box office success, having earned more than $16,000,000 on its opening weekend, debuting on third position and later climbing up to second. It finally took $104,636,382 domestically and $47,400,000 worldwide, making approximately $152,000,000 overall.

Awards and nominations[link]

''Phenomenon II''[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

(the Made-for-TV remake)

Category:1996 films Category:American romantic drama films Category:English-language films Category:1990s drama films Category:American fantasy films Category:Touchstone Pictures films Category:Films shot anamorphically

Thomas Montgomery Newman (born October 20, 1955) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his many film scores.

Newman has received a total of ten Academy Award nominations, although as of 2011, he has yet to win the award. He has however won a BAFTA, two Grammys and an Emmy, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. Newman was honored with the Richard Kirk award at the 2000 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.

Early life[link]

Film scoring career[link]

His critical and commercial success has continued in recent years with his scores for films such as ''The Green Mile'', ''Erin Brockovich'', ''In the Bedroom'', and ''The Salton Sea''. He was nominated consecutively for a further three Academy Awards, for ''Road to Perdition'' (2002), ''Finding Nemo'' (2003), and ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' (2004). However, he lost on each occasion, to Elliot Goldenthal (for ''Frida''), Howard Shore (for ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''), and Jan A. P. Kaczmarek (for ''Finding Neverland'') respectively.

He was again nominated for an Oscar for scoring Steven Soderbergh's ''The Good German'' (2006). At the Oscar ceremony, he appeared in the opening segment by Errol Morris, who jokingly stated that Newman had been nominated for and failed to win an Oscar eight times. Newman replied: "No, I've failed seven but this will be my eighth", and indeed, he again lost, this time to Gustavo Santaolalla for ''Babel''.

His first score since ''The Good German'' was for the 2008 animated film ''WALL-E'', collaborating for the second time with director Andrew Stanton (with the first collaboration being ''Finding Nemo''). The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (as had "Nemo"). Newman received two Oscar nominations: one for Best Original Score, and another for Best Original Song for "Down to Earth", which he co-wrote with Peter Gabriel. He was nominated in the Original Score category with two other veteran composers, James Newton-Howard and Danny Elfman, both of whom have also been nominated for several Oscars but each time unsuccessfully. Newman lost both the score and song nominations to A R Rahman for his work on ''Slumdog Millionaire''. He and Peter Gabriel did however win a Grammy for "Down to Earth".

In 2008 Newman scored ''Towelhead'' and Sam Mendes' ''Revolutionary Road'' and in 2009 he scored ''Brothers''. Newman's scores of 2011 include ''The Help'', ''The Debt'', and ''The Adjustment Bureau''.

Newman is to score the 23rd James Bond movie ''Skyfall'', directed by his long time collaborator Sam Mendes, which celebrates the film franchise's 50th anniversary.

Film compositions[link]

Additional soundtracks[link]

Newman has composed music for television as well, including theme music for the series ''Boston Public'' and the miniseries ''Angels in America''. His theme music for the television show ''Six Feet Under'' won two Grammy Awards in 2003, for Best Instrumental Composition as well as Best Instrumental Arrangement. Newman also wrote a commissioned concert work for orchestra, ''Reach Forth Our Hands'', for the 1996 Cleveland Bicentennial. The Los Angeles Philharmonic has commissioned a new work by Newman to be performed by the Kronos Quartet and Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, during the orchestra's 2009-2010 season.

Newman is also responsible for the Coles Supermarket Jingle in the 2010 line of advertisements.

Awards & nominations[link]

His first major success's for which he was recognised, came in 1994, when he earned two Academy Award nominations for his scores to ''Little Women'' and ''The Shawshank Redemption''; he was the only double-nominee that year, although he lost to Hans Zimmer for ''The Lion King''.

He received his third Academy Award nomination in 1996 for the score to Diane Keaton's comedy ''Unstrung Heroes'', but again lost, this time to Alan Menken for ''Pocahontas''.

He has also received one Golden Globe nomination for 1999's American Beauty, but did not win, as well as six Grammy nominations and two wins.

American Film Institute[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1955 births Category:American composers Category:American film score composers Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Los Angeles, California