Premonition (2007/I)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Mennan Yapo

Writer (WGA):

Bill Kelly (written by)

Release Date:

16 March 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Reality is only a nightmare away

Plot:

Depressed housewife learns her husband was killed in a car accident the day previously, awakens the next morning to find him alive and well at home, and then awakens the next day after to a world in which he is still dead.

Plot Keywords:

Car | Car Accident | Housewife | Sheriff | Nightmare

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Sandra Bullock	...	Linda Hanson
Julian McMahon	...	Jim Hanson
Shyann McClure	...	Megan Hanson
Courtney Taylor Burness	...	Bridgette Hanson
Nia Long	...	Annie
Marc Macaulay	...	Sheriff Reilly
Kate Nelligan	...	Joanne
Irene Ziegler	...	Mrs. Quinn
Phillip DeVona	...	Funeral Attendant
Ritchie Montgomery	...	Funeral Attendant
Matt Moore	...	Young Priest
Amber Valletta	...	Claire
Peter Stormare	...	Dr. Roth
Laurel Whitsett	...	School Aide
Kristin Ketterer	...	Receptionist

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violent content, disturbing images, thematic material and brief language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | UK:12A | Netherlands:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-11 | Norway:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 (cut) | Sweden:11 | Malaysia:U | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Denmark:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42764) | France:U | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Minden, Louisiana, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

The hospital ER featured in the movie was actually an old second-floor ICU.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The daughter runs through a door made of standard glass. This is not likely since by building code, glass doors must be made from tempered glass which shatters in many small pieces preventing deep cuts caused by large pieces of glass.

Quotes:

Linda Hanson: I wake up and he's dead. I wake up and he's alive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stiletto (2008/II)

above average assembly line thriller

Despite the rather thorough drubbing it suffered at the hands of some of the nation's most prestigious critics, "Premonition" is actually a pretty well-thought-out and tightly wound thriller, given emotion and heart by its star, Sandra Bullock. It's not a movie I would be wiling to go to the mat for, but as throwaway thrillers go, this one is really not half bad.

Bullock plays Linda Quinn Hanson, a suburban mother of two, who receives the shattering news that her husband has been killed in an auto accident. However, when she wakes up the next morning, she finds him, strangely, sitting in the kitchen, suddenly alive and well, benignly sipping coffee before heading off to work. The question quickly arises, did she dream the story of his death, is she dreaming now, or is she undergoing some sort of mental crisis precipitated by the shock of her loss? Or is she caught in some sort of bizarre time warp that allows her to jump back and forth between the periods before and after his "death," and, if so, might she be able to step in and alter the course of events to prevent the accident from happening in the first place?

In both concept and form, "Premonition" is pretty much an assembly-line thriller designed to tweak the audience's brain cells for a couple of hours before sending everyone home with not a whole heck of a lot left to think about once it's over. Still, it's intriguing enough while it lasts and only the true nitpickers among us will feel compelled to put its twists and turns in logic under the scrutiny of a critical microscope. Despite a few weak moments in her performance, Bullock actually makes us care about the character and the very strange thing that is happening to her.

"The Premonition" is by no means a classic - or even first rate - chiller, but those with a few spare hours on their hands and a penchant for brain-puzzlers could do worse than check it out.