BLAST FROM THE PAST
US, 1998, 108 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek, Alicia Silverstone, Dave Foley.
Directed by Hugh Wilson.
Blast from the Past is an entertaining comedy, an amusing premise where a paranoid family in the early 60s have built an enormous fallout shelter, home, generators, supermarket. The father is an eccentric scientist with a phobia against the Russians and the possibility of nuclear destruction. When President Kennedy announces the blockade on Cuba, a plane crashes in the front garden and the family go into their shelter which is automatically locked for thirty-five years. The mother, Sissy Spacek, is pregnant. Over the years the couple bring up their son who is something of a genius but very naïve. Eventually, when he gets out, the world which has changed (with glimpses given us over the decades of the change in the bar above the house), the father thinks that the world is full of mutants. However, the son who is also looking for a wife, encounters Alicia Silverstone and has a series of adventures as he is introduced to the world of the 1990s. Brendan Fraser is very good at this kind of naïve role. It is reminiscent of his performances in a number of comedies like Dudley Do Right as well as Bedazzled. He found stardom with the Mummy series but, at this time, also appeared in the serious film about James Whale, Gods and Monsters.
Director Hugh Wilson was involved in the Police Academy series and made a number of entertaining films including Guarding Tess and The First Wives' Club.
1. A pleasing comedy? A piece of American? Memories of the 1960s? The glimpse of transitions to the 1990s? The world of the 1990s? The extraordinary change in the appearance of Los Angeles, buildings and homes, squalid slums, the world of drugs, adult video shops? The change in manner, manners and music?
2. The title, the irony about the nuclear bomb on Los Angeles? The arrival of Adam in the 1990s as a blast from the past?
3. The re-creation of the world of the 1960s, costumes and décor, fashions, homes, television? The preservation of the 1960s in the underground shelter? The contrast with the grunge look of the 90s, the wealthy look, clubs, apartments? The changes? Symbolised by the music, the Perry Como music of the past compared with the rock and heavy metal of the 90s?
4. The plausibility and implausibility of the plot? Father with his eccentric views, spending years and his money building the shelter? The wife and her devotion to her husband? The party, Kennedy on the television, the Cuban blockade, the fears? Going down to the shelter, the plane crashing in the garden, the doors locking? Their staying there for thirty-five years?
5. The husband and wife, the eccentric father and his genius, providing for everything? The wife, her devotion, pregnancy, giving birth, bringing up Adam? Over the years, his walking, talking, learning? Adulthood? Her beginning to drink? Her wanting to go out and scream? The changes in the two? Adam and his devotion to his parents, the child genius - with lack of experience (and having to see baseball before he understood it)?
6. The thirty-five years and the opening of the door? The father going up, the man at the bar, the sketch of his life over the decades as his mother's son, the change in the 70s with the music, his hair and beard, the 80s, drugs, 90s and his manic religion? The discussions about the existence of God, the appearance of the father? The arrival of the son and the mother? His gathering his devotees?
7. Adam and his preparations for going up, the shopping list? His amazement at the world? Age, lack of experience, naivety? The adult bookshop and his father's warning about poisonous gas? Getting on the bus, wanting it to stop, his getting lost? In the shop, hearing about the deliveries? His having no small change? His wanting to sell his baseball cards, the meeting with Eve, her warning him, losing her job? Giving him the lift, his paying with the card? His going to his room, the naïve enjoyment of the room, the amazement at the city, television and the sexy ads? Eve's return? His offering her the job? Their getting the supplies, visiting her home, her ex-boyfriend and the clash? Troy, Adam not understanding what "gay" meant? Genial attitudes? Troy getting him a new outfit? Going to the club, the girl speaking French, the two girls at the bar, his skill in dancing, the lessons from his father? Going home with Sophie but coming back to Eve's apartment? His trying to tell her the truth? Her getting him committed, his running away, the bus, finding home again? Eve finding him, introducing her to his parents, her discovering the truth? His wanting two months, shutting the doors, getting his parents out, the beautiful home, getting the man upstairs as the manager of the club? With Eve? The happy ending?
8. Eve, her voice-over and comments, streetwise, boyfriends, her chance meeting with Adam, saving him with the card, giving him the list, her suspicions? Bringing the card back, taking on the job? The clash with her boyfriend? Troy, sharing the apartment? Her trying to understand Adam, where he came from, her psychic interpretation? Her taking him to the dance, her jealousy, the return home, his reappearance and her happiness? Hearing his story, ringing up the officials to commit him? Realising the truth, going to find him, meeting the parents, the meal, the house, the happy ending?
9. The parents after thirty-five years, the wife and her alcoholism, the father and his continuing phobia about the communists? Adam explaining the 90s and the end of the Soviet empire - and his measuring out the ground for a possible fallout shelter?
10. Troy, gay, friendly, helping with Adam's clothes, at the bar, the truth?
11. The officials, their trying to catch him, the woman and her poise, his being pursued by a psychiatrist, her upset about the car?
12. The irony of the stocks and shares, his becoming a millionaire? Building the house for his parents?
13. The comments on contemporary America - and a touch of nostalgia for the niceness of the past?
