Phenomenon: Jon Turteltaub

Now here's a charming little film. Jon Turteltaub’s Phenomenon follows George Malley (John Travolta), a kind yet otherwise unremarkable man living in northern California. On the night of his 37th birthday party, he witnesses a blinding white light in the sky. Afterwards, he becomes a genius with an eidetic memory, extraordinary intellectual stamina, and telekinetic power. He attempts to use his newfound abilities to help his neighbors and woo a local single mother. However, the government becomes involved after he accidentally decodes a top secret military cypher. When he is taken to a hospital, the true nature of his gifts are revealed. Much of this film relies on Travolta's performance. A lesser actor would transform Malley into a creature that would elicit revulsion and suspicion in its audience. But Travolta keeps Malley warmly sympathetic and charming even when his powers reach his full potential and he becomes akin to an intellectual oracle. Robert Duvall also turns in a fantastic performance as the local doctor who becomes Malley's confidant. This film's one glaring flaw is its soundtrack: many scenes that should have been light, emotional, and sweet are drowned in malignantly cheesy 90s pop. But for a film that could have easily become melodramatic schmaltz, Phenomenon manages to hit (most of) the right marks.

7/10