Kutcher earns his wings

The Butterfly Effect

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart and Ethan Suplee…

The Butterfly Effect

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart and Ethan Suplee

Directed by: Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber

In theory, “if a butterfly were to flap its wings in Brazil it could thus set off a tornado in Texas.” This idea, first presented in 1972 by meteorologist Edward Lorenz, is similar to chaos theory, which suggests that something as small and miniscule as the flapping of a butterfly wing can cause great change and disaster much further along the line.

“The Butterfly Effect,” starring Ashton Kutcher in his dramatic acting debut, takes this idea of a small incident creating huge consequences and turns it into a compelling and frightening film that literally keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entirety of film.

Kutcher is Evan Treborn, who as a child went through some pretty traumatic incidents. When he tried to forget about them he would blackout, leaving him missing huge chunks of memory from some important and tragic times in his youth.

Evan experiences these blackouts in key times and events, like being tormented by the sick and perverted father of his childhood friends, Kayleigh (Amy Smart) — who becomes Evan’s love interest — and Tommy Miller. This abuse from their father, played by a slimy Eric Stoltz, leads the precious Kayleigh to become a suicidal wreck and Tommy to become a rageful and angry youth. To cope with his blackouts, a doctor at a psychiatric hospital suggests that Evan keep a daily journal in order to jog his memory in case of blackouts.

Seven years later, we find Evan in college, celebrating his seventh anniversary of no blackouts with his roommate, Thumper (Ethan Suplee) But he soon finds himself having a blackout similar to those that struck him as a kid while reading one of his old journal entries, only this time he can see things he couldn’t before.

Evan finds that by going back to these events — traveling back in time in his head — he can right the wrongs and make everything perfect. In one scene, Evan goes back to a time in which he was visiting his father, who apparently suffered similar blackouts and was permanently placed in a psych ward.

When he originally had this visit as a child, Evan blacked out; when he goes back to the incident, he sees the conversation. But in it, the older Evan can choose what to say to his father. Evan tells his dad that he plans to change the past and make everything right. His father replies by telling him that he can’t play God. Evan discovers this, but not before he makes so many things wrong that he has to continue traveling backwards in time to try to heal the wounds that he ultimately creates.

Kutcher is completely surprising and effective as a dramatic leading man. He proves that he doesn’t need to be a goof ball and that, with the right material, he can rise above the “Dude, Where’s My Car?” roles. He plays hurt and confused very well, as do his child actor counterparts. Having to deal with the tough subject matter of the scenes in which they were placed, the young actors performed with brilliance and were hauntingly believable, especially in some of the more heart-wrenching scenes. Amy Smart is also wonderful, pulling together vast differences in character — playing a prissy, sweet sorority girl in one life, a strung out prostitute in the next.

The film marks the directorial debuts of Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber — co-writers of the dismal “Final Destination 2.” They keep the viewer on the edge, waiting to see where the story will turn next, all while keeping the story moving forward towards the final turn that leads to the ending credits. And, luckily, their script is a huge step forward from their previous work.

“The Butterfly Effect” is a serious sci-fi thriller that twists and turns and never loses its suspense, which is heightened by taking the audience on an emotional roller coaster. One minute we’re feeling happy for the characters, hopeful that everything has been settled. But then the film quickly turns, leaving us feeling depressed that the characters are still in pretty bad situations.

Every component of this film works and you will most likely walk out of the theater feeling very surprised and, if you’re like me, wanting to see it again.