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Movie Review - The Forgotten (2004)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Joseph Ruben |
| Starring: |
Julianne Moore, Anthony Edwards, Gary Sinise, and Dominic West |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for intense thematic material, some violence and brief language) |
| Length: |
91 minutes |
| Genre: |
Thriller/Sci-Fi |
| Tagline: |
On September 24th everything you've experienced, everything you've known, never happened. |
| Studio: |
Sony |
| Website: |
The Forgotten |
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PLOT
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Telly Paretta (Moore) is grieving the loss of her 9-year-old son. She's trying desperately to
cope, but everything is turned upside down when her psychiatrist (Sinise) tells her that she never had a
son. He claims that she has created the memories due to some post-traumatic stress that she suffers because
of something I will not reveal to you here. She refuses to believe this, and when she meets a
man (West) who has had a similar experience, she's determined to figure out what's going on. A tale of
suspense and sci-fi mystery ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Now THIS is what I want from a thriller. I had high hopes for this movie, and for the most part it
delivers. The story grabs you from the start, and what I like is that nothing is revealed too
soon. The movie pulls you along and keeps things nice and subtle until BAM it hits you with an
uppercut. The pace smooths out and then WHAM, a right hook to the jaw. Pretty much the same
method my mom used to employ to keep me on my toes.
The big mystery surrounds Telly's son. She clearly remembers him, and she has a difficult time
dealing with his apparent death. About a year ago, he boarded a plane that was bound for camp, but
the plane was never heard from again. Soon, all evidence of her son's existence begins to disappear.
His image has vanished from a picture, photo albums are now empty, and a home video shows nothing but
static.
Is somebody trying to mess with Telly's memory? Is her husband (Edwards) in on it? What is her
shrink's involvement? Is she crazy, or is it everybody else around her who's lost it? Has
Anthony Edwards started to regret leaving ER yet? Or am I confusing him with Julianna
Margulies?
When Telly meets up with Ash Correll (West), she realizes that he's forgotten about his daughter, who
was also on the plane with her son. It's at this point she's convinced that she isn't crazy, so she
seeks to find out exactly what is going on. I love how the characters don't know who they can trust,
and neither does the audience. Even characters who are attempting to help must be looked at with
suspicion. You are to question everybody at all times!
The acting is very solid. You won't find my name in any Julianne Moore fan clubs (although I was once
a member of the Bon Jovi Secret Society), but I have to admit she does a very good job here. And I'd
never seen Dominic West before (because I typically avoid snoozers such as Mona Lisa Smile like
Richard Simmons avoids women), but I thought he was great. Both characters react in situations exactly
like you want them to. They're two distraught parents trying to find out what happened to their children,
and they're willing to do what it takes. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that.
I definitely recommend you see this at the theater because there are two jump scenes that quite simply
have to be seen on the big screen and heard with the best sound system possible. I'm talking two of
the better jump scenes I've seen in a while. Stephanie doesn't jump much (even at times when I'm hoppin'
like a giddy school girl), but she was even jolted out of her seat. Well, she didn't literally go flying
out of her seat like a circus freak, but you know what I mean. One of the scenes caused her to jump and
clench my arm. Poor thing hurt her hand on my bicep though.
Comparisons to The X-Files and The Twilight Zone are accurate, but don't listen to the
movie snobs claiming it feels like a "mediocre" episode of one of the two. Keep in mind, this isn't
the kind of thriller that will have you trying to figure out the plot for days afterward. It's not gonna
make you think like Memento, and it's not gonna shock you or disturb you like
The Butterfly Effect. It's simply gonna keep you guessing and
entertained.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Supposedly Nicole Kidman was the first choice to play Telly Paretta.
- Johnny wonders why the lead actress' name is Telly, when they should know this will cause
audience members to make Telly Savalas jokes.
- The plot (in general) is quite similar to the 1965 thriller Bunny Lake Is Missing.
- Julianne Moore was in Boogie Nights with John C. Reilly who was in Nightwatch with
Josh Brolin who was in The Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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This is definitely a movie my mom would enjoy. There is one "f" word and three G-d**n's, but other than
that there is no profanity. There's no nudity or sexuality. We do see a quick shot of Julianne Moore in
her underwear as she's getting into bed, but I see more explicit stuff in the Kmart underwear ad. When I
*accidentally* come across that part of the ad, of course. There are some moments that may scare small
children, but it's suitable for any age that can handle a psychological thriller.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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Do not, I repeat, DO NOT watch any commercials for this movie! The original trailer is pretty good,
although there is one scene I think should've been left out. But I saw a commercial on TV right after
seeing the movie, and whoa, they gave away WAY TOO MUCH! Trust me on this one, folks. If you're
watching TV and a commercial for the movie comes on then turn the channel faster than you would if you
were trying to flip past an Anna Nicole Smith interview. Take my word for it. Somebody needs to be
brain-slapped.
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THE GIST
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The Forgotten is a solid thriller that delivers a good mystery and some of the best jump scenes
I've seen in a while. If you wanna cause yourself heartache and nitpick over some minor plot holes, then
go ahead and be a little curmudgeon. But what's the point? Allow yourself to be entertained for an hour
and a half. It won't hurt. This is a very good date movie, but guys, do a few reps beforehand
because your gal might be grabbing your arm quite a bit, and it's best if that's not an embarrassing
situation for you.
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