"The Butterfly Effect" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Lonestarr]

Change one thing. Change everything.
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/153/501950.jpg
"I'd think very hard about what you're going to do." - Thumper

Release Date: January 23, 2004
Studio: New Line Cinema
Directors: Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber
Cast: Ashton Kutcher. Amy Smart, Elden Henson, Ethan Suplee, William Lee Scott, Eric Stoltz, Melora Walters

Plot Summary: A young man (Kutcher) is struggling to get over harmful memories from his childhood, but while doing so discovers a technique that allows him to travel back in time and occupy his childhood body changing his history forever. However he also discovers that every change he makes somehow alters his future.

Visit the official movie site here (www.butterflyeffectmovie.com).

Buy the movie! (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001Z52RU/toonzone03/)

Comments?

[dc_gothamite]

great movie, IMO... ashton wuz better than i thought... very intriguing plot with a grim look at the cause & effect theory...

one question, though... wutz the name of the song playing at the end, when evan (ashton) walks by kayleigh (amy smart) down the street? thnx :D

[Ryoutarou]

my god....that movie was.....not good but not bad it's a good step for ashton to go into more serious movie's but man this was a bad movie.

[TheEvilClown]

I thought it was a good movie. All you said that it was a bad movie why did you think it was bad. Ashton first role of being serious role was pretty good IMO. I just want to know some reasons why you thought the movie was bad.

[Jor-El]

The song at the end was "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" by Oasis. It's a really great song.

I thought it was a great movie. Some of those things were just too intense to watch. When that woman and the baby were headed toward the mailbox, I just couldn't look. Yeah, some of the things were hokey and I thought the beginning of the movie how they began (what us English people like to call) in media res was kind'a really corny; it was like they were trying to make a kind'a blah movie more impressive somehow, or something. Whatever they were doing, it didn't work.

Aside from that, there was some interesting looks at the repercussions of tampering with the past and I enjoyed it. I thought that some tampering was little more than holed-up for the repercussions of the future. For example, he could've done a lot better job of destroying the dynamite than they did. And he could've given clearer instructions to Lenny when he handed him the metal shard, etc.

Still, 4 stars, if only because I didn't think Ashton would be even as good as he was and because it the movie itself made me physically react to what was happening. I was horrified, sick, and scared out of my mind at some parts.

[Dr Kain]

My g/f and I went to see it yesterday, and I really enjoyed it.

I liked how it starts out in the middle of the story, then goes to the Evan's childhood, and just builds up from there. The soundtrack was great as well. There are a lot of twists in the movie, but I still couldn't help myself but think of the Simpsons' "Time and Punishment" episode from Tree House of Horror V.

I give the movie a 3.5/5 stars. I will most likely get it on dvd when it comes out.

[Lonestarr]

I finally went to see The Butterfly Effect today.

The first half-hour of this film, while well-made, is unbelievably grim. The jumps in time truly caught me off-guard, though it was clever how those puzzle pieces were filled in later on (little Evan holding the knife, for one thing). Once the film got to the present, things got better. The alternate realities were well-distinguished, thanks to some fine cinematography by Matthew Leonetti.

In trying to forge a serious career, Ashton Kutcher goes in the right direction. His performance was quite a surprise.

My ultimate feelings about the film: an very interesting premise spawns a film that, while not completely entertaining (the violence - even from the writers of Final Destination 2 left a bad taste) is still pretty good.

***1/2

[creeper]

I take it not too many people went to see this movie. I just got back from it. All i have to say is wow. It was really well done. His final decision was selfless and made the ending sequence that much more powerful. I hope more people see this movie so there can be a real discussion about it.

[DisneyBoy]

Someone I was chatting with someone yesterday said that when one scene came up, he joked "and then they go get naked", and it actually happened on screen, but in a less-than-appealing way.

:rolleyes: I realize how strange it must seem that I'm asking about this, but curiosity got a hold of me and I have to know. Does something fitting that description occur?

:D Thanks for humoring me!

[Stu]

That was an absoloutly superb film, masterfully handeled. Kutcher played his part perfectly, and the puzzles, which where resolved later in the film where brilliant.

As Barry Allen said, some parts you turned your head at, the dynamite in the mailbox, the dog being set alight, his attempted suicide in the bath. Just a really great film, which I hope to see again soon.

[Deadly Messiah]

Anyone know when it is coming to DVD?

[Chris Sanders MSX]

This is one heck of a bump but considering this movie was just released on DVD, I figured it should be discussed, especially with two endings available. :D

[Knight]

Yeah I heard that the dvd has the directors cut ending on it so im curious to see how it differs from the theatrical one. I'll probably eventually get the dvd since really liked this movie. I believe this is Aston Kutchers only serious role to date and it was quite good.

[Conekiller]

I just saw the director's cut version of the movie (and then went back and watched the teatrical ending)


I enjoyed the movie, but I agree that the way Ashto's character went about "solving' his problems was just asking for it later. Like lighting the dynamite in the basement as opposed to , I dunno, dunking it water or something. or just snepping or SOMETHING besides actually lighting it.

I also feel they could have done a better job of explaining what was wrong with Lenny early on, I kinda got the gist of it, but it wasn't convincing (I understood better later, of course)

I'll comment on the Director Cut Ending and my thoughts on it compared to the Theatrical version in spoilers

The Director's ending invovlved Ashton's character finding a video of his mom giving birht to him, as opposed to the party video where he meets Kayleigh. He "remembers" himself into the scene and , while still in his mother's womb, stangles himself with the umbilical cable. He dies and everyhting is right with all the other characters.

That's my biggest problem with this ending, why just cuz he didn't exist did Tommy and Kayleigh and Lenny have jsut fine, normal unmolested lives. That doens't make any sence to me. That and there's a plothole where Ashton remembers his mom telling him that she had 3 still birth babies before him. In the actual scene she says 2.

[Cogliostro]

"why did Tommy and Kayleigh and Lenny have jsut fine, normal unmolested lives?"

Conekiller - I believe it's cause Aston Kutchers character is the only reason why Kayleigh wanted to live with her dad, without him around she would have no reason to stay with her bad father so her and her brother end up living with their wonderful mother and the neighbor kid never gets picked on and so on by Kayleigh's brother since he is living with his mom as well so they all end up growing up with "normal happy" lives.

We'll thats what I got from it.

[Conekiller]

So in a sence, all that really maters in the end was kayleigh? not Lenny or Tommy?

in a snece, that's kind of selfish while bieng selfless...O_o

[Terminatah]

So in a sence, all that really maters in the end was kayleigh? not Lenny or Tommy?

in a snece, that's kind of selfish while bieng selfless...O_oWhat are you talking about? He does the thing and ensures that all three of them will have happy lives, not just the girl.

For anyone browsing this thread who hasn't seen this movie, here's some advice:

DON'T WATCH THE THEATRICAL CUT FIRST. WATCH THE DIRECTOR'S CUT. IT HAS EXTRA FOOTAGE AND THE ORIGINAL, BETTER ENDING.

-Terminatah

[Knight]

I can say right now having seen the movie at the theatres Im glad they didnt use the director's cut ending. That probably would have ruined the movie for me. I like happier (than that ) endings.

[Chris Sanders MSX]

Yeah I'll agree with that, the second ending made me like awww man. I mean it fit the feel of the movie better but still it was kinda depressing.

[Terminatah]

I can say right now having seen the movie at the theatres Im glad they didnt use the director's cut ending. That probably would have ruined the movie for me. I like happier (than that ) endings.The theatrical cut did feature the happier ending, but that comes at the price of being a little sappy, and not nearly as powerful as the original ending. I think audiences can handle the director's cut, not to mention all the other bits that were lost for the theatrical cut. They don't add up to a major difference, but I think they improve the story.

-Terminatah

[Knight]

I plan on buying the DVD one of these days so Im looking to check it out.

[Terminatah]

I just remembered something about why the Theatrical Cut ending doesn't work. The following contains spoilers about the Director's Cut ending, so don't read unless you've seen it:

Right before the big climax, the doctor tells Ashton's mom that his brain has swelled too much and his condition is irreversibly terminal. Which is why it doesn't make sense to have an ending where Ashton survives.
-Terminatah

[Chris Sanders MSX]

I just remembered something about why the Theatrical Cut ending doesn't work. The following contains spoilers about the Director's Cut ending, so don't read unless you've seen it:

Right before the big climax, the doctor tells Ashton's mom that his brain has swelled too much and his condition is irreversibly terminal. Which is why it doesn't make sense to have an ending where Ashton survives.
-Terminatah
Thing is that "reality" was erased when he changed everything. Wait, what condition are you talking about?

[Terminatah]

Thing is that "reality" was erased when he changed everything. Wait, what condition are you talking about?Every time Ashton changed reality, his brain was pumped with years of new memories (remember the seizures?). This was causing his brain to progressively swell (Ashton himself addressed the situation in the scene where he was popping wheelies in the wheelchair). By the end of the movie, his brain had swelled too much, and the doctor gave him no chance of survival.
-Terminatah

[Chris Sanders MSX]

Every time Ashton changed reality, his brain was pumped with years of new memories (remember the seizures?). This was causing his brain to progressively swell (Ashton himself addressed the situation in the scene where he was popping wheelies in the wheelchair). By the end of the movie, his brain had swelled too much, and the doctor gave him no chance of survival.
-Terminatah

Thats true but the thing is the reality where he had no chance of survival had been erased. Still he's most likely going to just die early or something.. if this were real life.

[Terminatah]

Thats true but the thing is the reality where he had no chance of survival had been erased. Still he's most likely going to just die early or something.. if this were real life.This is a condition that he was dragging over from reality to reality. The act of changing things is what was causing his brain to swell. Note at the beginning of the movie, his brain is fine. Halfway through, the doctor is very concerned about the swelling. At the end, he's already done for. Then he changes reality again. So it makes no sense for him to survive. It's clearly a tacked-on ending that is meant to soften the blow of an unhappy ending for the audience, but all it does is dilute its effectiveness. Good song, though.
-Terminatah

[Neo-Era]

The theatrical ending was forgettable. The real ending makes the movie into kind of an inverted It's A Wonderful Life. Some might say that's a downer but I thought the film had a darker edge than the standard Hollywood flick and pretty much earned the director's cut ending. The message is that life just might be better off for some if certain people (even essentially good people) had never been born. I wouldn't call that a mainstream sentiment so I'm glad to see it for once in a mainstream movie.

[Caffeine King]

I thought that this was very good.

I was confused at parts of it but I really liked it.

I was surprised that Ashton Kutcher could actually act.

I used to hate him but now I actually have respect for him. :sweat:

I gave it 4 and 1/2 stars. :)

[RD!]

Sorry for the bump.

Finally saw the movie. Surprisingly good, not the campy, trying too hard, teen drama I expected it to be. The only problem is that it seemed pretty inconsistant with the jumps in the original time line. They connected the second skip, with the knife, to the original timeline.

As for the endings. If it wasn't for the fact that it wouldn't make sense with his brain, the theatrical ending would have been so much greater. The original was great and all, but it was over all a love story and I think the theatrical ending drove it home better.

You know. I somehow expected Evan to be his own grandfather. =[

3.5