The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Directors:

Eric Bress
J. Mackye Gruber

Writers (WGA):

J. Mackye Gruber (written by) &
Eric Bress (written by)

Release Date:

23 January 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Verändere die Zukunft, durch die Vergangenheit (Change the future, through the past.)

Plot:

A young man blocks out harmful memories of significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life.

Plot Keywords:

Alternative Reality | Aryan Brotherhood | Unrequited Love | Dog | Altering History

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Sept. 6	12:00 PM	FX
Sun. Sept. 7	10:00 AM	FX

Cast

Ashton Kutcher	...	Evan
Melora Walters	...	Andrea
Amy Smart	...	Kayleigh
Elden Henson	...	Lenny
William Lee Scott	...	Tommy
John Patrick Amedori	...	Evan at 13
Irene Gorovaia	...	Kayleigh at 13
Kevin Schmidt	...	Lenny at 13 (as Kevin G. Schmidt)
Jesse James	...	Tommy at 13
Logan Lerman	...	Evan at 7
Sarah Widdows	...	Kayleigh at 7
Jake Kaese	...	Lenny at 7
Cameron Bright	...	Tommy at 7
Eric Stoltz	...	Mr. Miller
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Jason

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and brief drug use. (also director's cut)

Runtime:

113 min | 120 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (No. 39664) | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Malaysia:18SG | Brazil:14 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

BenderSpink

Trivia:

The picture over Evan's bed in his dorm room is "Sleep" by Salvador Dali.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Evan and his mother visit the fortuneteller in the Director's Cut, she says that Evan has no "lifeline" and should therefore not exist. In the scene that follows where Evan and his mother sit outside the fortune-teller's Evan's "lifeline" is clearly visible in his palm.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[reading aloud as he writes a note]
Evan: If anyone finds this, it means my plan didn't work and I'm already dead. But if I can somehow go back to the beginning of all of this, I might be able to save her.

Movie Connections:

References The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Soundtrack:

Hear You Me

A Real Tripped Out Roller Coaster

Man... Whew... Wow! I'm at a loss of words to describe this high octane, tantalizing, brain-stimulating movie. The acting: excellent. The plot: superb. The story: great. The drama/suspense: mind numbing.

How the writers were able to put this story together so flawlessly, I don't know, and how the director was able to actualize it, even more amazing. There was plenty of visual stimuli as well as mental stimuli as you waited to see the outcome of each alteration made by the main character, Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher).

The movie kept me guessing and kept me at the edge of my seat, and the writers outdid themselves by making sure the movie didn't peter out with some lame ending. The ending was icing on the cake and it capped what should be a classic.