Blast From the Past (Film Review)

1999 New Line Cinema
Directed by: Hugh Wilson; Written by: Hugh Wilson and Bill Kelly
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek, and Dave Foley
MPAA Rating: PG-13; Running Time: 112 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 7/10

Calvin Webber is a little strange, but even more than that, he's terrified at the prospect of nuclear war. It's 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis is nigh, and much to the consternation of Calvin's wife, Helen, Calvin rushes all the Webber's dinner guests out so that he and the very pregnant Mrs. Webber can hide in their very well-equipped bomb shelter. Unfortunately, a plane randomly crashes into their home just as they enter the shelter, Calvin believes nuclear war has begun, and he, Helen, and their soon to be born son, Adam, end up living underground for 35 years. When the now elderly Webbers and their 35-year-old son run low on supplies, Adam is sent to the surface to stock up, as well as hunt for a prospective wife. He finds a sky more blue than he could ever imagine, a human race that's grown infinitely more cynical than when his parents went down to their shelter, and a woman named Eve who finds the congenial, gentlemanly Adam too good to be true.
From my favorite year in human history, 1999, comes a romantic comedy that immortalizes the late 90's. As the century and millennium came to a close, and American pop culture became fixated on past decades, Blast From the Past's timing couldn't be any more perfect. Blast From the Past may feature some tongue-and-cheek critiques of the early 60's and late 90's, but it also feels like a love letter to the entire 20th Century. As Adam, Brendan Fraser is in his exact lane, playing a charming and excitable innocent, who finds himself in what amounts to a foreign land. As Eve, Silverstone is THE '90s girl, cynical, bitter, but cool as hell, with an underlying heart of gold that Adam spitshines. The two have great onscreen chemistry, particularly when their relationship finally takes a turn toward the romantic. Dave Foley holds down the fort as Eve's roommate, acting as a sort of tour guide, '90s buffer, and subtle matchmaker for Adam. Meanwhile, Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek shine as Adam's parents, particularly the latter as a woman very quietly (and hilariously) losing her mind after decades away from the outside world. All come together under the assured hand of director, Hugh Wilson, along with some sharp writing by Wilson and Bill Kelly. So why, with all that raving, is my score not higher?

First of all, Blast From the Past's tone is somehow both niche and scattershot. The film goes through great stretches where it's neither a comedy nor a romance, then stretches where it's very funny, then stretches where it is quite romantic. I have no problem with a varied tone, but I wish Wilson could have found a way to make the film feel a bit more tonally cohesive, especially considering early '60s dude comes to the late '90s is such a high concept as it is. The second issue is more major, a sudden, unexplainable voiceover in the film's final minutes that nearly veers the film off a cliff. There are also several loose ends that not only aren't shown tied up, but aren't mentioned in the needless voiceover, either, leaving a film that would have benefitted from a complete resolution, feeling sloppy, rushed, and unfinished. However, thanks to the charm of its leads, the novelty and execution of its concept, a shockingly fun swing music dance off, and a generally pleasant vibe, Blast From the Past is a worthy entry in the 1999 cinematic canon.