Long-Forgotten 1999 Brendan Fraser Rom-Com That Still Holds Up in 2023
After his iconic roles in movies such as The Mummy, George of the Jungle and School Ties, most fans have probably forgotten that Brendan Fraser starred in the 1999 rom-com Blast From the Past. And that's hardly surprising.
The movie was a box office flop that bombed in a period where romcoms were all the rage and anything that didn't stack up was quickly consigned to the bargain basement. In the early 2000s, the DVD of Blast From the Past probably cost less than $1 and was largely overlooked by film fans. But watch it back and you'll see that it's stood the test of time.
The film centres on Fraser's character, Adam Webber who has been holed up in a nuclear bunker for 35 years after what his father believed was a nuclear attack.
The alleged attack was, in truth, a plane crash, but the crux of the film is how Adam adapts to life in the 90s which, as you can imagine, was very different from the 60s where he'd come from.
(3).jpg)
There are several jokes about how out of touch Adam is. For example, he's amazed to find Troy has a computer in his house. Of course, at the time, the joke was that Adam couldn't believe there was a computer in the back room of the house. Nowadays, it'd be hard to imagine it's not just in your pocket.
Created as a glimpse back at the 60s and a celebration of the progressive 90s, the movie now shines a light on how much society has moved on from there. Although some might argue that the casual racism displayed by Adam when he first re-enters the world is something that we still can't really look down on him for. Sure, he's the butt of that joke. But there are too many still clinging to that kind of view.
The dance scene, however, transcends time. As soon as Adam hits the floor with the two girls who, up to that point, were quite condescending towards him, the awkwardness dissolved and the three of them became lost in the music. Why? Because great music never goes out of fashion.
That particular scene wouldn't have looked out of place in pretty much any movie from the 1960s to now.
So, if you're looking for something nostalgic or just a movie you haven't seen before, give it a go. Ok, some of the acting is a bit cringey, but it's well written and there are some top comedy performances that will have you wondering why you haven't seen it before.