Frequency
Sort of like a chick flick. Only for guys.

NYPD detective John Sullivan (James Caviezel) digs out his dad's old ham radio and during a particularly scenic period where the aurora borealis is seen far more south than usual, speaks to his father, Frank Sullivan (Dennis Quaid), a New York fireman, who has been dead for 30 years.

Most definitely genre-lite, Frequency is less about the science that allows two men, separated by 30 years to speak, than it is about the magic that gets two men, a father and a son, to speak to each other about what is in their hearts. It also depicts the strong influence that a father's presence -- or lack thereof -- can have on his son, even into adulthood.

When we meet Detective Sullivan, his life is nothing short of a mess. His girlfriend has left him because he is not only unable, but unwilling to change. Change? Okay, so he lives in the same house he grew up in, his best friend is the same one he had as a child, and to put it mildly, he ain't no life of the party. It's as if he's stuck in some rut that he cannot, or will not pull himself out of.

Why?

Because the death of his father when he was a mere six years old has left him without the certainty that his dad would have supported him in his life's decisions. And so he mopes around his childhood home, searching for something, waiting for something, that will never be.

The whole serial murder sub-plot is almost superfluous, but I suppose helps the elder Sullivan realize that he very much wants to meet the man that his son has become. For John however, it is the chance to interact with the man he has sorely missed, even if it is just via some small, metal box. The aurora borealis, that freak occurrence of nature, has allowed him to bond with the father he barely remembers and gain personal strength from the love and support he receives over the airwaves.

So in the end change is exactly what John does with his life. It may not be the way that his girlfriend intended, but he took that leap of faith, embraced change, and saved not just his family, but himself as well.

Of particular note is the use of songs in this film. While the past is easily identifiable by period pieces like Martha and the Vandella's "Heatwave" wafting through radio speakers or Elvis crooning "Suspicious Minds" from the turntable, the present is decidedly lacking in music. It is as if it were planned to help distinguish the emotional resonance of each time frame for John. While his happy childhood is filled with melodious, danceable tunes, John's bleak, current life is sadly lacking in any sort of harmony at all. And yeah, it's pretty damn dark and depressing too.

Frequency is more about the power of parental love than it is some suspense thriller. And you know, that's okay with me.

DROOL FACTOR: Dennis Quaid, even with his New Yawk accent, still makes me all tingly. Plus he dances all sexy with Elizabeth Mitchell in the kitchen. And besides that, he plays a fireman. Who rides a motorcycle. And has a Dalmatian named Elvis! Umm... James Caviezel looks pretty bad the entire movie until the very end. He should always wear a red knit pullover with a silver tab zipper at the throat partly undone. 'Cause, you know.... it suits him.

GROSS-OUT FACTOR: The disappearing -- more like melting -- hand was kinda icky.

STRONG CHICK FACTOR: Mom (Elizabeth Mitchell) doesn't take stuff lying down. Go mom!

-- Linda M. Najera

Frequency is currently in theaters.

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