Phenomenon
From Human Science
Phenomenon is a 1996 drama, romance, and fantasy 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 is composed by Thomas Newman. However, the most well known music from the film is the song "Change The World" by Eric Clapton. It was filmed in Auburn, Colfax, Davis, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, and Treasure Island, all in Northern California.
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Plot summary
George Malley (John Travolta), whose life is transformed by a strange flash of light he observes on the evening of his 37th birthday.
Over the course of the following days, George starts to experience an extraordinary form of genius-level intelligence, rapidly absorbing vasts 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 townfolks 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 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 concerned with seeing a display of his telekinesis. Soon after, another great flash of light strikes George, knocking him down. 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's been stimulating it. George has more area of active brain use than anybody ever tested because of the tentacles from the tumor. The tumor is what also caused the dizziness and illusion of light. 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 would then 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'll never get to finish.
After returning home, George gives Nate notes which basically served as a journal and gives him some other notes to deliver to Doc Brunder. He then retrieves his scientific research and, literally, runs to Lace's house. There, he aims to give his final farewells to Lace and her children, Al and Glory (David Gallagher and Ashley Buccille, respectively). George comforts them 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. Later that day, Lace and George sleep together, and George dies in her arms. Dr. Ringold arrives to speak to George later that morning, but he's too late, and Lace, instead, passes on George's incomplete research.
The movie ends approximately one year afterward at the town's local bar, where the townsfolk gather to celebrate George Malley's birthday.
Difficulty of the Pioneer
One thing that comes out in this story is the disbelief of others about the breakthrough works or insights of the pioneer individual. Man is not ordinarily ready for such breakthrough knowledge, or such intuitive experiences of a George Malley. They either view it with skepticism and doubt; or if it is determined to be real, with fear. They see it as a threat to the settled life they are accustomed to. If it is tune with the subconscious yearning of the society, it is more widely embraced, as we see with the New Age and related movements in tandem with the rise of the Baby Boomers.
Spiritually Intuitive Individual
George Malley has the qualities of a transformational being -- even the supramental, gnostic being described in Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine. He perceives with a powerful intuitive capacity that is matched by a need and will to manifest that which is perceived. It is through his powers of spiritualized mind and vast will that he is able to accomplish so much in the short time he had this capacity.
Material and Subtle Miracles
To make the story digestible, the director portrays physical miracles, even though it is George's profound insights into the workings of the material and non-material existence that are his greatest contributions. For the viewing audience to perceive "miracles" that are beyond the physical to the subtle is a frontier for humanity's understanding, which will appear over time in the coming decades and centuries. Likewise, the ability of the director to present these subtle, non wholly material miraculous-like phenomenon of life is another frontier of the artist. In this way, the term ‘Phenomenon’ that is the title can extend to the miraculous-like phenomena of life response, synchronicity, intuitive attraction, and others that occur at the subtle and causal planes, still involve the physical, vital, and mental planes of existence.
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