PROJECT ALMANAC
US, 2000 106 minutes, Colour.
Jonny Weston, Sofia Black -D' Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangeliste, Virginia Gardner, Amy Landecker.
Directed by Dean Israelite.
One can’t complain about a story which shows teenagers enthusiastic about science, engaging in projects, looking for scholarships so that they can continue study. In this case, the hero wants to be accepted to MIT and we see him, at the opening of the film, controlling quite elaborate experiment to submit for a scholarship. He is joined by his two friends, enthusiastic as he is, as well as his sister who is ever ready with the video camera to record everything.
This is one of those films where everything is recorded, hand-held camera even in the least likely situations, straining the credibility sometimes, using the found-footage conventions so popular since The Blair Witch Project. Sometimes this is giddiness-inducing and we might be much happier with more conventional camera work.
David (Jonny Weston) is an enthusiastic scientist, with very happy memories of his dead father who was an expert in technology. The interesting plot device, very evident in the trailers for the film, is that in looking at the video of his seventh birthday, his teenage self appears in the mirror. How could this be? Time-travel, of course!
There is also teenage romance, David admiring, from a distance, the girl of everyone’s dreams, Jessie. Fortunately, despite the reticence, she is attracted to him and joins in the development of the time travel technology. After some experiments, returning objects to one minute earlier, they are ready for the big travel. Being teenagers, or, at least, now being made to look like teenagers in American teenage movies, they opt for some silly adventures, lottery winning, exercising grudges at school and the decision to go back to a music festival and kicking up their the heels. To contribute to the romantic development, David and Jessie go to a wall where people have put answers to the question, “Before the world ends…”. This is where the two really bond. But there is a certain coolness between the two when they return.
Where is the plot to go? Obviously, David wants to remedy the situation between himself and Jessie, which leads to his continued return to the past, by himself, which is against the rules because everybody has to go together. As might be expected, especially thinking of the butterfly effect, one small change causes a chain reaction, including plane crashes and deaths…
The film gets serious at the end, the group realising the risks in going back into the past, the risks in changing things, discovering consequences – and the need to take responsibility. And no one could question this.
1. Time travel story? Teenagers, interest in science? Their experience of, the consequences?
2. The target audience for the film, the young audience, identifying with the characters, the enterprise? Teen behaviour? Study achievement?
3. The title, David and his father’s experiments?
4. The focus on science, technology, MIT and interest?
5. Hand-held camera, the found-footage genre? The credibility of the camera placement?
6. David, his age, love for his father, the party when he was seven, love for his mother, her finding work, his not wanting to sell the house? The project for MIT, the visualising of this experiment, the control? Working with his friends? With his sister and her work with the camera?
7. Searching the attic, finding his father’s experiment? Sharing with his friends and his sister? Examining the machine, seeing himself in the mirror at his party? The tests, finding the parts, stealing the hydrogen from school? Success, the experiments for one minute…?
8. The main tests, winning the lottery, school, adolescent behaviour?
9. David and the attraction to Jessie, her role in the school, popularity, talking, exchanging the bag, their liking each other, coming to the house, sharing the experiment?
10. Going back in time, the choice of La Palooza, the band, music, enjoying it? Walking along the wall with the statements, “before the world ends…” Jessica and David and their responses? The aftermath and her being more aloof?
11. The rules, that all should get together, change the past? David and his wanting to change his relationship with Jessie, going back to the wall, the different answers, kiss?
12. News of the plane accident, his friend and his being in hospital, David being involved, going again and again to change the past? The consequences?
13. His friend, his warning about the changes, the decision to destroy the machine, David going back to the party, his father, his life, the destruction?
14. The attraction of the time travel? But its being exploited, learning from mistakes, taking responsibility?
