Forever Young (1992)

“Do you ever feel lost?” 

            I remember watching Forever Young when I was little. It had to have been my mom who had me first watch this movie because she had a serious thing for Mel Gibson years ago before he went all nuts. I have not watched this movie in I cannot even tell you how many years I think it was on VHS! Watching this tonight it was amazing how much of the movie I remembered. The story is so good it is sad, happy, and sweet.

            Gibson plays Daniel McCormack a lieutenant in the air force in 1939. He has a very happy life. He is a test pilot and has been in love with the same girl since he was little. Daniel’s friend Harry (George Wendt) is a scientist for the government and has created a device which can freeze live things and when they come out they are still alive. One day Daniel and his girl Helen are sitting in a diner. Daniel wants to propose to Helen but he cannot find the words to do so. Helen is in a rush to get to work she has to leave. They kiss goodbye with Daniel thinking he has all the time in the world to propose to her. Unfortunately Helen is hit by a truck and is in a coma for months.

            Harry needs a human to try his cryogenic machine for only a year. Since it does not seem like Helen will wake up any time soon Daniel says he will do it.

            The year is now 1992. Nat Cooper (Elijah Wood) and his friend Felix are with Felix’s older brother who works on the air force base. The two boys get bored sitting in the car so they decide to go on an adventure. They find the cryogenic freezer thinking it was a submarine and play on it. The two boys twist a few knobs and accidentally open the freezer. When the boys take a look they find Daniel looking as if he is just sleeping. Nat’s jacket gets grabbed by Daniel and he and Felix freak out and run away.

            Daniel wakes up. He gets off the base but sees the world that he knew has completely changed. He wants to find Harry but does not have luck at the time.

            Nat tells his mom Clair (Jaime Lee Curtis) about where his coat went but she just puts it down to her son telling a wild story. While Clair is at work Nat and Felix are home. Daniel comes to the door to return Nat’s coat. The boys freak out over seeing the dead guy again. Daniel gets them to calm down. The boys grab him some clothes and put him up in their tree house. They give him food and a book to catch up on all that has happened since 1939. In the house he sees a man Clair had been seeing attack her. Being the gentleman that he is Daniel jumps down from the tree house and saves her. Clair in appreciation and thanks lets Daniel sleep on the couch.

            Daniel becomes good friends with Nat and Clair. Nat helps him to try to locate Harry. He tells Clair that he has nowhere to go he is looking for his friend and feels completely lost. In the middle of playing with Nat, Daniel falls from the tree house from horrible pains. At the hospital where Clair works her doctor boyfriend tells her that he has an aging disease. The government has heard of the cryogenic capsule being open and the hospital informs them of Daniel. The doctor helps Clair, Nat, and Daniel to get out of the hospital before agents come to find him.

            Daniel finds Harry’s daughter. They go to her and find that Harry had notebook upon notebook of notes about his experiment. Daniel finds that the aging process is irreversible; he has and will be aging to over eighty years very rapidly which is what is hurting him. He also finds out that his best friend died trying to save the capsule from a chemical fire but died which is why he had been kept in it for over fifty years. Harry’s daughter  says that Helen is alive she survived. Now Daniel is on a mission to find his lost love.

            Daniel does not have enough time he is really hurting. He has Clair drive him to the base where he steals a plane. Nat was told to wait in the car again but of course did not listen. Lucky he was on the plane because Daniel has another attack. Daniel tells Nat what to do and they land the plane literally right in front of Helen’s house. After many, many years Helen and Daniel are reunited and love each other more than they did all those years ago.

            Forever Young is an excellent movie. The story is so beautiful and moving. J.J Abrams wrote the screenplay. He is a damn genius, this is the guy who created and directed Alias and Lost and directed Star Trek. The man just knows how to write a great story. Everyone in the cast is perfection. If you have not seen Forever Young you must. It is one of those rare romantic/love movies that is not mushy at all and is so well made all around. I claim to not be so sentimental and cannot be bothered with love but it was great to see how love is eternal and after so many years Helen still loved Daniel.