Max’s Drive-In Movie – Frequency

This is not a “great” movie but a very entertaining one. 

This 2000 movie has two of my favorite elements, time travel and baseball. It’s NOT about baseball, but the 1969 World Series was used as a talking point and to prove a point. This movie has a cool twist on time travel. No one walks into the future or past, but father and son talk on a ham radio 30 years apart. That World Series is used in a way that convinced the dad that his son was talking to him over a ham radio 30 years in the future. 

This movie, overall, is a good vibe movie. Yes, things work out more than they probably should, but it’s just that kind of movie. I love the way they communicate 30 years apart. There are many twists and turns, but it pays off at the end. So if you want a dark, dark movie (it does have dark spots), this one is not for you, but it’s not overly sweet either. The actors did great. Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Elizabeth Mitchell, and others were on target. 

It begins in 1999. John Sullivan is a New York City police detective still affected by the death of his father, who died in a warehouse fire in 1969. One night, during a rare solar event, John discovers that his father’s old ham radio is picking up a signal from the past. He soon realizes he is speaking directly to Frank (his father) in 1969. At first, they test the connection with personal details. John tells Frank (his dad) about the 1969 World Series and what happened. Frank doesn’t believe him at first, but soon does, and his life is saved. 

Once convinced, John warns Frank about the fire that will kill him the next day. Frank listens, changes his actions, and survives. When the timeline shifts, John wakes up in a new version of 1999 where his father lived longer, but other events have changed. Saving Frank sets off a chain reaction. In the altered timeline, John’s mother is murdered by a serial killer who was active in 1969.

John and Frank, now aware of their link across time, work together to track the killer in both eras. John uses modern police records to guide his father’s investigation into the past, while Frank gathers evidence that affects the future. Their actions create more changes, sometimes helping, sometimes making things worse. The film moves between 1969 and 1999 as both men close in on the suspect. In the final act, events from both timelines converge, leading to a confrontation that resolves the case and restores their family.

Frequency avoids complicated science explanations. The radio connection simply exists, tied to solar activity. The crime plot gives the story tension, but the center remains the conversations between a father and son who were given one more opportunity to speak. Overall, it’s a time-travel feel-good movie…and I’m a sucker for time-travel movies. 

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all. View all posts by Badfinger (Max)