Blast From the Past (1999)

Calvin Webber (Christopher Walken), a nerdy, nutty scientist, and his traditional and very pregnant wife, Helen (Sissy Spacek), are living in California in fifties style splendor in the early nineteen sixties, when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurs. Buying into the red scare of the day and convinced that attack by the communists is imminent, they immediately go underground into the super deluxe bomb shelter that Calvin had had the foresight to build under his house and fully equip with enough supplies to last thirty five years. No sooner do they do so, Calvin's fears are reinforced, as suddenly a force of great impact shudders overhead. Thinking that they were hit by an atomic blast set off by the communists, they hunker down for the next thirty five years, waiting for the radiation to dissipate.

In the interim, they have a baby boy, whom they name Adam (Brendan Fraser). As Adam grows up, he is unknowingly caught in a time warp with his parents, as they have no contact with the outside world. Adam's world view and values reflect that of his parents, as his entire life, thus far, has been spent underground soley in their company. When the thirty five years are up, Calvin surfaces briefly to check the state of affairs topside. What he sees, he misinterprets, and upon his return to the bomb shelter ends up having a heart attack. He and Helen then dispatch Adam on a reconnaissance mission to get needed supplies.

What transpires when Adam ventures into the outside world is very funny and often poignant. As played by Brendan Fraser, the thirty five year old Adam, a fresh faced, polite virgin with no fashion sense, has a Dudley-Do-Right quality and a load of goofy, sincere charm that ensures the comedic success of this film. His foray into the outside world, his endearingly innocent interpretation of all that he sees, and his interaction with others will leave the viewer laughing. When he runs into Eve (Alicia Silverstone), the hard edged, appropriately named, beautiful blonde with a heart of gold, he is smitten. Together they will leave the viewer hoping that Adam and Eve will find the Garden of Eden.

Christopher Walker is wonderful as the slightly nutty, paranoid but brilliant scientist. Sissy Spacek shows a distinct comedic flair as the patient and long suffering wife who buys into her husband's vision of things. Dave Foley of "Kids in the Hall" fame is terrific as Eve's drolly funny, gay roommate. Alicia Silverstone, while ostensibly the weakest link in this otherwise brilliantly cast comedy, still manages to give a more than acceptable performance as the cynical Eve. It is Brendan Fraser, however, with his aw-shucks, innocent veneer, who deftly steals the show right under everyone's nose. His charming and funny, ingratiating performance is one that will have the viewer watching this film over and over again. This is a must have comedy for one's personal collection.

Brendan Fraser's performance as the bright but impossibly naiive Adam Weber is brilliant. Playing a totally sheltered (no pun intended) 35 year-old encountering the outside world for the first time, Fraser manages through use of his mobile facial features and skillful body language to look like a nerdy 14 year old. The performance was strongly reminiscent of Tom Hanks in BIG.

Alicia Silverstone and Dave Foley play strong supporting roles as Eve, Adam's love interest, and her gay room-mate Troy. The strongest scenes in the movie feature all three of them. For major laughs, watch Eve and Troy's faces while they watch Adam make a splash on the dance floor.

This movie made me a Brendan Fraser fan. I liked it so much I bought copies for several people for Christmas. Lest you think this is only for Boomers, I showed it to a 24 year old friend who completely cracked up over it.

Blast From the Past is just pure humorous entertainment. Not only is the stroyline funny, but the reading-between-the-lines and subtle dry humor is fantastic. The whole plot just flows so well, making for a very enjoyable viewing experience. On top of it all, the film has a pleasant underlying message, stressing good family values.

Fraser is terrific in his role as the naiive Adam Webber. Despite his tremendous acting ability, Fraser's facial expressions easily steal the show. He, hands down, makes this role happen. Alicia Silverstone is the perfect compliment to him in this movie, and it is refreshing to watch her character develop over the course of the story. Dave Foley has always been great in comedic roles, and the part of the gay room-mate seems to have been made for him in the film. Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken as Adam's parents are amazingly funny in their seemingly unusual roles. On the whole, the acting in the movie was nothing less than spectacular.

Blast From the Past is a wonderful film to gather the family around. It's incredibly humorous, and has a very positive message. This film will leave you feeling good.