The Butterfly Effect story
The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart. Synopsis: A boy experiences blackouts and memory loss throughout his childhood. Later, in his 20s, he finds he can travel back in time to inhabit his former self during those periods of blackout, with his adult mind inhabiting his younger body. He attempts to change the present by changing his past behaviors and set things right for himself and his friends, but there are unintended consequences for all.
30 total · 1 choice · 4 major · 25 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| the butterfly effect | choice | While the film technically fails to explore its namesake effect from chaos theory, as Evan's changes in the past failed to engender comparatively large changes in the future, the viewer is still invited to ponder such notions as a tornado being caused by a distant butterfly flapping its wings. |
| actions have consequences | major | Evan learned the hard way that, even though his intentions to fix the past were good, his actions had unforeseen consequences, in which either he or at least one of his loved ones suffered horribly. |
| mother and son | major | Evan encountered a version of his mother in most, if not all of the various present realities. |
| romantic love | major | Evan's love for his childhood sweetheart, Kayleigh, remained constant across all the various present realities. |
| time travel | major | Evan time and again used his innate ability to travel back in time with a view to making a better present his loved ones, but failed miserably. |
| boyfriend and girlfriend | minor | In one of the present realities, Evan and Kayleigh were an item. |
| brother and sister | minor | Kayleigh and her deeply disturbed brother, Tommy. |
| child abuse | minor | Young Kayleigh was given a bad bruise on her arm by her father. |
| childhood pranks | minor | Young Evan and his friends thoughts they'd blow up a neighbor's mailbox for laughs. |
| childhood trauma | minor | In one of the present realities, Kayleigh was deeply traumatized on account of having been physically and sexually abused by her father. |