Why a 2004 movie still rings true
Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a movie I had never seen before but had always been interested in watching. Simply called “Cellular,” the movie features a cast of some decently famous actors like Kim Basinger, William H. Macy and Chris Evans before he became Captain America.
The 2004 movie is nothing all that special, but it did make me pause and think about how much personal technology has changed and how much of it has also stayed the same. The plot revolves around a woman (Basinger) who has been kidnapped but manages to make one phone call to a 20-something slacker (Evans). Most of the movie is spent with the two of them talking on the phone as Evans gets in a series of high-speed car chases, last-minute close calls and various other action-movie clichés. The whole gimmick is that Evans cannot allow the phone call to get dropped or otherwise disrupted or else Basinger’s character and her family will die.
Even though the main character carries an “old-fashioned” flip phone that predates today’s smartphones, he still runs into all of the same communication problems we have today.
For example, an entire subplot is based on Evans trying to track down a new battery charger just so his phone doesn’t die. Regardless of how sophisticated our phones get, we are still limited by that chunk of lithium that is continually running out of juice. It seems like my phone’s battery is never above 50 percent charged for very long, and it’s often in the 20 percent or less region when I have to start looking for a charger and a place to plug in. With all of the chargers and power outlets around, it really shouldn’t be that hard to keep a portable piece of machinery fully charged. Still, I always seem to bleed my battery down to the single digit percentages before I get it plugged.
Another plot point of “Cellular” is the fear of dropping a call in an area with bad reception. Anyone who has traveled between this area and Marshfield knows exactly what this feels like. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times the cell phone companies expand their 3G or 4G networks, there are always blank spots on the maps in rural areas like ours. All you can hope for is that the person on the other end of the line understands what it’s like to live near a dead zone.
Again, even though this movie is nearly two decades old, you wouldn’t have to make many changes to create a relatable remake in the smartphone era. Instead of one long verbal conversation, though, the movie would just feature a series of text messages, SnapChats and Instagram posts. Basically, no one actually talks on their phones anymore. So, there you go Hollywood. Consider that my pitch for the “Cellular 2: Text Alert.”
OUT FOR A WALK
KEVIN O’BRIEN
EDITOR
