A young, suburban couple find themselves inexorably drawn into increasing lawlessness when a long-lasting, region-wide power failure plunges the entire city into anarchy. Joined by a friend, they flee for other, safer parts of the country, only to face strangers, distrust, fear, and--ultimately--their own humanity.
An examination of the pressures of middle-class suburban life, as seen through the eyes of yuppie couple Matt and Annie one eventful night. After a volatile evening at the movies, the pair come home to find that their daughter has an infection. Shortly thereafter, a blackout occurs in their town, making it tough for Matt to get help for his child. Matters worsen when a macho old friend named Joe pays the couple a surprise visit during the power outage. Soon, macho Joe's working class mores begin to fray Matt's last nerve...
These stressful elements -- combined with alcohol consumption -- manage to remove Matt and Annie from the reality they once knew. And that leads to unfortunate circumstances when a looter breaks into their home...
Shown in competition at the Seattle Film Festival on June 4, 1996.
Released theatrically in the USA on August 30, 1996.
The film marks the directorial debut of screenwriter David Koepp, cowriter of the films MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and JURASSIC PARK. Koepp also wrote and directed the short film SUSPICIOUS, starring Janeane Garofalo.
Koepp was inspired to write THE TRIGGER EFFECT after viewing the BBC documentary CONNECTIONS, written and directed by James L. Burke and originally broadcast in the late 1970s.
The MCA/Universal laserdisc version (Cat. #43122) has THX sound recording.
Additional cast: Rick Worthy, Molly Morgan, Shishir Kurup, Richard Schiff, Gary Bayer, Elizabeth Gandy
Copyright 1996 Universal City Studios, Inc. and Amblin Entertainment, Inc.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Single Layer
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 3.0 - French
Additioal Release Material:
Cast & filmmakers' bios
Film highlights
Trailer - Theatrical
Text\Photo Galleries
Production notes
DVD Rom Freatures:
Web links
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Review 1:
"A refreshingly stimulating premise and an efficient thriller..." -- Rating: B
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.57 09/20/1996
Review 2:
"...THE TRIGGER EFFECT maintains a potent mood of dread....[Shue] is compelling..."
Source: Variety
06/10/1996
Review 3:
"...From the start, Koepp sets out to get under the viewer's skin, which he does with relentless ease..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.32 08/30/1996
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