MovieChat Forums > Frequency (2000) Discussion > Dilemma/Contradiction Spoiler

Dilemma/Contradiction Spoiler

posted 14 years ago by SwampThang
10 replies | jump to latest

In "The Time Machine" the Uber-Morlock explains how the main character's girlfriend cannot be saved, precisely because it his her death that caused him to create the time machine. This makes sense to me and is very elegant.

If Quaid's character were alive, this would mean that Caviezel would have never needed/tried to communicate with him on the radio. Ergo the whole thing would have never happened. So I would say that Quaid had to have stayed dead, otherwise the whole plot never gets off the ground.

[–] jaystarstar 14 years ago

John didn't set out with the idea of contacting Frank on the radio.

Whether Frank was still alive in 1999 or not, his earlier self in 1969 was still alive.

Although you are right, the whole content of their conversation would have been totally different from the beginning.

[–] Briangus8 14 years ago

I have never read "The Time Machine" so I can not reference that. But the things happening in "Frequency" were happening simultaneously, albeit 30 years apart. John still had both sets of memories, although he wasn't able to make sense of any of them, only after his father survived the fire. It's kind of hard to explain, but the best I can do is say that the things in 1969 never happened and therefore never happened in 1999 until after the two men made connection. It goes back to the whole parallel timeline thing.
Somethings are best left to suspension of disbelief? :-)

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] king_of_bob 13 years ago

Two completely different models of the universe involved in the two movies. Don't assume the rules of one apply to every movie involving time travel.

Prof. Farnsworth: Oh. A lesson in not changing history from Mr. I'm-My-Own-Grandpa!

[–] artistathome 13 years ago

There are infinite timelines and infinite ways to change your own timeline.

Every day you change your future by the decisions made that day in an instant. Going down a different street, calling or not calling someone to give them some news.

You can think of a hundred things. Each decision throws you into your new timeline. And we dont' even know it is happening.

In Frequency tho, they were able to actually experience what the changes did for them. Like someone not dying. I thought it was spectacular the way they changed his present day memories but let him keep the old ones too.

[–] MsELLERYqueen2 10 years ago

Hmmm...interesting point!

~~
💕 JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen 👍

[–] Zuider_Zee 10 years ago

I thought the whole point was altering the past.

[–] Urmelita 10 years ago

Since time travel isn't possible to begin with, each story uses it's own set of rules.

[–] eljefe320 10 years ago

Why when things changed in the past John had both sets of memories but no one else in the present did?

[–] Urmelita 10 years ago

We don't actually know that they don't. Others might remember as well, but only John knows that "the former timeline" isn't just a dream.