Chaos Theory Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
This man will bring order to the universe...or not.
The story of an obsessively organized efficiency expert whose life unravels in unexpected ways when fate forces him to explore the serendipitous nature of love and forgiveness.
| Ryan Reynolds | Frank Allen |
| Stuart Townsend | Buddy Endrow |
| Mike Erwin | Ed |
| Chris William Martin | Damon |
| Christopher Jacot | Simon/Best Man |
| Alessandro Juliani | Ken |
| Ty Olsson | Evil Ferryman |
| David Berner | Frank's Doctor |
| Simon Chin | Target of Frank's Attack |
| Kevin Foley | Flower Delivery Boy |
| Donavon Stinson | Nevin |
| Daryl Shuttleworth | Officer Fields |
| Laurie Murdoch | Judge at Wedding |
7.20 out of 10 (5865 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A Rarity
posted on 27 Jul 2009Chaos Theory is a well-acted comedy that delivers laughs a the right moments while weaving an endearing tale. It never achieves greatness, but it is enjoyable throughout.Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) is a professional speaker who lectures on time management, and his life is perfectly ordered and scheduled, down to the minute. When his wife (Emily Mortimer) sets his clock forward 10 minutes as a joke, his day is thrown off. When he ends up late for an out-of-town lecture, things go awry. A couple of miscommunications leads his wife to question his fidelity, and he ends up making a discovery that causes him to have his own doubts about his family life. Deciding that his strictly ordered life has done him little good, he begins to make multiple choice index cards, choosing one at random and doing what is written on the card.Reynolds is a very under-appreciated talent, and his work in this film is spot-on. Stuart Townsend gives a strong performance as Frank's best friend, and Matreya Fedor has some great moments as Frank's 7-year old daughter. Sarah Chalke shows up briefly in an interesting role, but she isn't given that much to work with. The movie is story is well-structured and not entirely predictable, and the pacing and timing are great. The flaw of the film, though, is the third act, which was a little over-the-top for my taste. But it is a smart and pleasant film overall, perfect for a rental.
Cliché after cliché, with no heart
posted on 11 Jul 2009A friend of mine had this crush on Ryan Reynolds, so without knowing what this movie was going to be like, (the back said something about being a hilarious and heartfelt COMEDY) I thought, it has Reynolds, so it will probably have it's moments.I thought wrong. Emily Mortemer gives one of the most uninspiring roles I have ever seen an actress play, the plot is cliché, and after about 20 or so minutes in, there is not even a hint of comedy to be found. On the other hand, a lack of comedy would not be a disappointment if there was some charm or drama to take it's place, but what is left is an uninspired, and just generally unassuming movie which becomes painful to sit through. The characters have no soul, the movie (titled CHAOS THEORY) is boring and predictable, and really fails at any hint of comedy.Reading some of the other reviews, it seems some other people enjoyed it. I was not one of them, and those are my two cents.
generally charming comedy
posted on 20 Apr 2009Spontaneity is not a highly esteemed commodity in Frank Allen's catalogue of virtues. An efficiency trainer by avocation, Frank is a man whose own life is organized entirely around to-do lists, time charts and abstrusely calculated probabilities. Then, one day Frank becomes a victim of circumstances so utterly beyond his control that he is forced to abandon his old way of thinking and adopt a new philosophy of life altogether, that of throwing caution to the wind and letting his every mercurial whim determine the course of his actions (he shuffles index cards to determine what it is he should do next)."Chaos Theory," a small but insightful movie written by Daniel Taplitz and directed by Marcos Siega, boasts a cleverly addled storyline, some sharp, witty dialogue and energetic performances by Reynolds, Emily Mortimer and Stuart Townsend, the latter two as Frank's wife and best friend, respectively. The plot complications get pretty hot and heavy at times but, as with all good comedy, things have a way of straightening themselves out in the end.Though there may be a few too many musical montage sequences in the movie for my taste - they always seem to be used as shortcuts to get the heart soaring or the tear ducts flowing - the movie has a fluidity and charm that raise it above any possible shortcomings. Moreover, the Pacific Northwest setting provides a scenic backdrop for all the amusing shenanigans taking place on center stage.
misleading high rating
posted on 08 Apr 2009my bad for taking IMDb scores too seriously and only a limited number of people have posted comments here and i'd like to inform people that its nowhere near as good as people are making it out to be. The film can't decide if its a comedy or a drama and with that sort of messy hybrid, you're not sure whether to laugh or empathize and the movie is quite short so characters are insufficiently developed before ryan reynolds misses his ferry and things start going off at a tangent for him. The plot twists are interesting enough to keep you involved in the movie but the ending is frankly ridiculous with what went on before as the producers obviously opted to play safe so as not to alienate anyone. Its not a bad film but it left an unsatisfactory taste in the mouth for me.
Chaos Theory is an honest and well-done look at a man whose world is turned upside down
posted on 23 Feb 2009Chaos Theory is an extremely well done film. It is a serious, emotional and at times humorous look at life and love that is incredibly honest and centers around equally honest and real characters. With the feel of a good indie flick and a strong leading man, Chaos Theory is one of those rare, genuine explorations of the human condition.Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds), an obsessively organized efficiency expert and top-selling author, has spent his entire life planning out every little detail and following the lists and schedules he makes for himself. He clings to controlling everything because it brings order, which gives him a sense of comfort and peace of mind.One day, Frank's wife Susan (Emily Mortimer) sets the clocks forward ten minutes to help him be early for his schedule but accidentally sets them back ten minutes instead, making him late for his lecture on efficiency and setting off a chain of events that sends Frank's life spiraling. Through a course of seemingly random events, he learns some new information that, in effect, reveals to him that much of what he believed about his life is based on false information.Not knowing how to deal with the revelation, Franks throws everything he's ever believed about order and efficiency out the window and starts living life on whim and chance. As he lets chaos overtake his life, he struggles to deal with the new truth that defines his life and forgive those involved.The movie has its share of funny parts, but it really shines in its dramatic moments - when it's serious and honest. It effectively deals with things like relationships, truth, friendship and forgiveness, and it all feels true to how real people would react. As Frank and Susan try to deal with the new information, they begin to reassess their marriage and Frank questions what he's believed in for so long. His downward spiral into chaos is both interesting and realistic as well; none of it rings false. As you watch it all transpire on the screen, you're able to understand and relate to many of the emotions that Frank is struggling with.Much of this success comes from the performance of Ryan Reynolds, an actor best known for comedic roles in movies like Waiting… and Van Wilder, but who has an intensity and seriousness about him that translates powerfully to other types of roles. This is evident in Definitely, Maybe as well as Chaos Theory, and the latter is quite a departure from the comedy work he has done previously – one he excels in and should do more often.One scene where his talent and intensity really comes through is when Frank pulls over onto the side of the road just after he discovers the life-altering news. As he sits on the curb trying desperately not to break down, choking back tears and vomit, his pain is clearly visible in both his eyes and in his physical anguish, and it exudes off the screen. The strength of Reynolds' performance really heightens this scene, as well as the whole movie, and makes the character and his feelings relatable and evocative for the viewer. Reynolds easily carries the movie, which is even better off because of it.Chaos Theory is an extremely honest, sometimes sad, always emotional and very real exploration of how a person deals with a drastic change in their life. With a strong and atypical performance from Ryan Reynolds, and enough humor, hope and insight to keep it from being depressing, Chaos Theory is definitely one of the more intelligent films of 2008 and shouldn't be missed.
a quote that should be added.
posted on 17 Feb 2009great movie. although a tad melancholy.a section of quotes from the boat scene i feel should be added... so funny!Frank: "oh, that went all the way through." (as he's looking down at the hole he accidentally just shot through the bottom of the boat.)Buddy: "There, go ahead, commit suicide now." (after wrestling the rifle away from Frank and throwing it into the lake.)Frank: "Suicide? You think I'm trying to commit suicide?"Buddy: "Mmmm..yeah."Frank: "You impossibly stupid man. Philandering, dumb... murder! Murder I'm trying to commit murder! You idiot!"
Chaos Theory Movie Review
posted on 04 Jan 2009Chaos Theory doesn't have enough comedy to be a well-rounded comedy, nor does it have enough drama to be an adequately heavy-hitting drama. Instead, it chooses to blend those two genres, as well as throwing in scenes of tear-jerker romance, and the result is seemingly appropriate chaos. Ultimately, however, with a star like Ryan Reynolds, who seems suppressed with the overbearing drama in what should have been a solid comedy, Chaos Theory doesn't amount to much more than something to pass the time.Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) lives life according to careful structure and planning out every minute of his day with note cards, which he writes for himself constantly. He's so successful at it, that he is an efficiency expert public speaker who lectures on multi-tasking and organization to crowds of uncaring business people.His wife Susan (Emily Mortimer), becoming irked by his constant scribbling of notes, decides to set the clock back 10 minutes (described in the film as setting the clock forward) to give him some much-needed stress relief. However, her blunder causes him to miss the ferry that should have transported him to his presentation on time management. An hour behind schedule, he has ten too many drinks, and suddenly finds himself in the company of a home-wrecking seductress in his hotel room. When his wife calls to overhear a woman's voice, things go from bad to worse – especially when on his hurried trip home he gets in a car wreck with a pregnant woman, and is stuck helping deliver the child! A film about miscalculations and misunderstandings, Chaos Theory does have its moments of genuine laughs and realistic drama. But the two rarely blend seamlessly, and at the start the film is lighthearted and funny until it blatantly crashes into eye-opening drama, which abruptly changes the tone. Bits of comedy attempt to weasel itself into the now all-too-serious tragedies that continue to pile onto poor Frank, but the humor quickly becomes too little too late. Some of the events are traumatizing, while others are just silly, but most of all the unfortunate coincidences and exhaustive love triangle elements wear out the viewer, who can't picture Reynolds doing anything but Van Wilder vulgarity.The characters often unrealistically restrain their use of abrasive language, and many of the plot devices, such as the index card ultimatum Frank presents at the beginning of the film, are terribly predictable. Emily Mortimer remains depressingly serious after the opening scene (in which she appears uncontrollably drunk) and the other supporting characters fail to emote anything remotely authentic. Reynolds juggles being a "creature of freedom" or a "monster of depression" as he adopts a lifestyle of embracing chance and whim, but he seems held back from his usual over-the-top comedy.At one point Frank explains to his friend Buddy (Stuart Townsend) that all of the decisions he has made in his life, based on careful index-card outlining, were wrong. And that's how the audience feels about the progression of Chaos Theory's story, which jumps from mildly funny comedy to bleak drama, and never resembles the attentive construction that the title surely contrasts.- Mike Massie
Truth ... The beating of the human heart
posted on 25 Dec 2008Greetings again from the darkness. A quirky, surprising little gem from writer Daniel Taplitz and director Marcos Siega ("Pretty Persuasion"). Not in the traditional Hollywood mode, this one takes us on a very unusual path towards self-actualization.Ryan Reynolds delivers by far his best screen performance as the OCD dad who seems to have the perfect family, job and life. The trouble is, he runs it through endless lists, often burdening his wife (the always terrific Emily Mortimer) with helping him maintain his "to do" schedule. After a most unusual spouse selection process, Mortimer, becomes disenchanted with the structure ... that is, until it is swept away in a moment of misunderstanding.Can't give away too much here other than to say Reynolds heads towards an awakening through a bizarre series of events that leads him to a life-changing moment that involves a rowboat and his "friend" Stuart Townsend (also excellent). The story does not follow the traditional story arc, yet we are always invested in the main characters ... trying to urge them to make smart decisions! It's actually a great deal of fun.This one probably won't reach a wide audience since none of the cast are huge draws, and neither the writer or director are big names. That's too bad because this is quality story telling, acting and overall film-making.
If you enjoy movies that involve laughter and tears, this is it.
posted on 19 Dec 2008I saw this movie in the theaters about a month ago and even with the busted speaker that produced an annoying buzzing sound and the idiot who decided to show up on his death bed sneezing, hacking, and coughing throughout the entire film I STILL enjoyed it and so did the other people with me. As a girl I automatically have a soft spot for Ryan Reynolds, I want him and his amazing six pack to do well but all that aside this was a really good project he chose to do. Also that funny tall skinny blonde chick from scrubs is in the film and holds her own on the big screen. The movie is funny, but in a smart and heartwarming way, but not too heart warming and not too smart where you start thinking, "Wow that was such a cool thing to say. . . but nobody talks like that." It doesn't overstay its welcome and comes around full circle in its story without leaving you feeling unsatisfied. A must see whether you like Ryan and his beautiful six pack or not.
Average Fare (with some flare)
posted on 13 Dec 2008Let's get my bias out of the way first. Ryan Reynolds can do no wrong. I think he's as close to a Cary Grant as we'll get ever again. His face, and the many expressions it can make, are perfect for both drama and comedy, and he seems perfectly willing to commit to both extremes. In fact, in this movie, he's able to turn the tone of the movie in an instant. Oh right, he's also incredibly attractive.Frank (Reynolds) is an efficiency expert whose day has been thrown off. The irony of being late to his own lecture on time management is not lost on him either. Through a serious of less than fortunate events, Frank manages to mount up enough circumstantial evidence of his committing adultery at least once, that his wife throws him out.The twist, when it comes, is not altogether unexpected, but the material is treated with a humanity that makes you happy to keep watching. In one scene, Frank is streaking across a hockey rink and in another, his and Susan's (Mortimer's) foreheads are touching, and their muted sobs are pulling at heartstrings no mere romantic comedy would ever be able to play. The sort of climax of the movie is quite superb. You see great dramedic acting, and a clever script to boot. No, not a clever script, but a sincere one. Its writing makes this movie more of a comedic romance than a romantic comedy. If you don't understand that distinction, you will after watching this movie.
REVIEW -- Finally a romantic comedy for the rest of us!
posted on 11 Nov 2008I'm not a big romantic comedy fan so I went to Chaos Theory with low expectations. Which is why I was shocked to find myself not only laughing (instead of eye-rolling) but also experiencing a certain moisture in the ocular region. Yes it is a comedy -- most anal, hyper organized guy totally losing it vintage Steve Martin style with a post-modern twist when he discovers his perfect life is not what it seems. But it's also a story about a guy losing himself, his wife, his daughter, his best friend and everything through a freakish but medically accurate twist of fate and fighting his way back to find himself. The directing has an indie feel which I much prefer over the overly processed studio fare -- lots of long takes that really draw you into the characters. Ryan Reynolds is hilarious -- great physical comedy but also achieves a whole new level of sincerity. Emily Mortimer has some great spastic moments -- and, in a departure from her usual twinkle toes persona, isn't afraid to show her grumpy side. By the end of the movie, I really felt like I knew these guys. I also really enjoyed the humor -- which had a lot of those "Oh God, I've been there" moments even when the story was ratcheting up to outrageousness.Go to see it for the shot of buck-naked Ryan Reynolds skidding across the hockey rink if nothing else!
Destiny through chaos.
posted on 10 Sep 2008When I first came across this movie, I was expecting some a sort of personal epiphany that drives the main character to some higher state of being. Essentially a rise-to-nirvana style film. Instead I found something much more appealing and deeply human in this film. There's no bad guy, just a family and a friend who's lives are marked with ups and downs.Without giving anything away, the movie is about love, but not in finding or keeping it. What starts as a misunderstanding between husband and wife develops quickly into a very intense situation. On a deeper level, the plot raises questions about how simply fate (order) and chance (chaos) bring together and break apart two people. Even further, in the long-run, which force wins out? destiny or circumstance?This movie is a very pleasant departure from Hollywood and something well worth checking into.7.5/10
Blargh!
posted on 06 Sep 2008It was all mushy it made me want to vomit! IMDb promised me it would be funny, well I guess if you thought Juno (also barf) was funny then maybe you'll find this one funny but overall I give it BARF out of 10. Well I guess most comedy-drama movies are barf but this one was kind of extra-barf. Yeah it had a few funny parts but overall it was way too mushy, by the end I felt like I had walked through a pool of mush and it was all stuck to me and I couldn't get it off. And what happened to Ryan Reynolds anyway? Didn't he used to be the funny guy with the "I don't take anything seriously" attitude? He should take a clue from Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey that no one wants to see funny actors do mushy or serious movies. Oh well. If you like those kinds of movies (mushy, barf movies) then you'll probably like this one. I don't, and that's why this one left me feeling sick.
A surprising gem
posted on 14 Jun 2008This film is about a very organised man whose life is turned into chaos by an accidental revelation.Though there are a lot of comedic moments in the film, I think it is more of an drama about Frank finding out that organisation and efficiency does not make him any happier. This realisation and complete personal change is engagingly portrayed throughout the film. Frank's situation connects to the viewers, and easily evokes much sympathy.The ending is touching and well told. It explores what is more important in life. Is it the job, family or deeper values such as forgiveness? "Chaos Theory" is a surprising gem. It is an engaging, heart warming and yet light hearted and comedic all at the same time. Watch it if you have the chance!
Liked this positive film.
posted on 26 Jan 2008This is 2008 and we start to see crisis everywhere. Economic crisis in US, food crisis all over the world affecting badly the third world countries, earth quake in China and the cyclone floods in Myanmar.Chaos theory is a theory about highly unstable, dynamically changing complex systems. It says many of such complex random motions may have some identifiable patterns of behavior though they appear to be random. One real time example about this is the 'weather'. It appears randomly changing. But it is not. Lot of other initial factors those might have occurred quite a long time back(say 100 years) do affect the current weather. This is what I could understand from the detailed wikipedia article. The movie is about a normal 9 - 5 office going family man(Ryan Renolds) who's life suddenly takes into wild turns and become chaotic. Though everything looked bad and led to a dead-end, he finds some light(initiator) and brings back his life and his town to some liveliness. The story is just that. But the meanings it convey is about taking life at odd times. The voice overs of Danny Devito were good. He also acted in this movie but I did not see his name in the star cast list. Ryan does fit perfectly into his role. And other characters too. The romance between Ryan and the shop counter girl(Emily) was indeed a lovable one. This movie also reveals me that lower and lower-middle class people's lives are same everywhere. No matter the country it is. It could be the richest America or Britain or any. Doesn't matter. This movie is neither a tear-jerker nor a belly-aching comedy. Its a drama. If you like to see how people want to to go on with positive things with life then watch it.
This man will bring order to the universe...or not.
posted on 06 Jan 2008I can't believe this one flew under my radar for almost two years. Chaos Theory is one of those rare gems in between, you never hear it being talked about but has also built quite a fanbase. Chaos Theory is a quirky, surprising little gem with a great script and an impressive vision. Directed by Marcos Siega (Pretty Persuasion), the movie works on both ends. It has enough comedy to give a chuckle or two and exact amount of drama for the love sick. Ryan Reynolds, whether you love him or hate him, is always the impressive actor and this is by far one of his best on screen performance. Emily Mortimer is always terrific and the elusive Stuart Townsend graces us with his charisma and almost-never-seen talent. This is a rarity of a gem with a great cast and a perfect blend of heartwarming drama and spot-on comedic timing.However, its never gonna get the wide audience that it deserves mainly because the stars aren't exactly top draws in the box office which is just sad really because the wider audience would rather just watch a dude dressed as a lady in a fatsuit (I'm looking at you Tyler Perry) than real good quality film-making.
Almost Paradise
posted on 05 Dec 2007You can't wrong with this movie. It is a crowd pleaser and as part of a certain crowd, I was as well.The film follows the old time comedies style, from Frank Capra till Charles Crichton, giving us slight deja-vu moments of "I've seen it before" without making itself boring or repetitive. And perhaps yes, we all did, or still do in some ways. And that's the good thing about the film. Although it has an universal theme the film never tries to be pretentious and fool us with surprise endings. We are dealing with a "safe-net" act, where we feel as rookie-acrobats guided by great instructors who really wants us to become part of the great show of life.Being politically correct never felt closer to chaos in the last 10 years, I would say. And complete chaos might bring one you down to Earth with a satisfactory thought of being almost in paradise.A must see , hear and laugh.8.5 out of 10.
Is This A Comedy Or Drama?
posted on 14 Oct 2007It is extremely hard to be able to blend two different genres together and pull it off. Evil Dead II did this with horror and comedy and In Bruges did this with action and comedy (yes Mark, I watched it a again and enjoyed it more the second time around). Now here comes Chaos Theory, which I thought was a comedy with bits of drama sprinkled through, something along the lines of Thank You For Smoking for instance. It's a story about a man who is so obsessed with time that he has to make sure every part of his day follows a specific routine which he has timed out on small cue cards. Something 'chaotic' happens and his life is turned upside down. He now lives his life in the moment. What I didn't expect was that the so called 'chaotic' thing that happens was actually a heart-breaking moment that I would never wish upon anybody.It would help this film is people knew what they were getting themselves into. Chaos Theory does have some comedic elements in it, but it's mostly a drama. Those little comedic moments are so out of place, yet I still laughed at them. Which made watching this movie an awkward experience.The cast holds up pretty well, including Ryan Reynolds as the lead and Stuart Townsend as his best buddy, whose name also happens to be buddy. Townsend plays his role at certain points at two polar opposites of the spectrum. A revelation happens to his character and the second half of the film he's completely different. I enjoyed his second half more because he became more likable and he actually had more to work with.As the drama goes on and on, it becomes less and less heartbreaking because it's sways back and forth between comedy and drama. Reynolds is able to pull off both serious and funny very well, but I'm afraid he still isn't able to hold an entire film together. Sure he was good in Definitely Maybe, but he has three beautiful co-stars behind him, who at some times stole the light. A few more years down the road for this guy, then you'll see some amazing stuff, I'm sure.The film screams as one of those films that no one knows about. Not too well made, and not horrible either. There are no moments of wow, this film really touched me, or any scenes that stand out in my mind days later. It's simply a competently made flick.I can't recommend that you go out and rent this flick, but if it is on TV sit back and watch you, you will be surprised.
Potentially great.
posted on 26 Sep 2007The 'Chaos Theory' credits just started rolling here, actually having some pre-viewing excitement, the writers left me out in the cold. A vast array of smug movie 'experts' utilized the title to point out the movie's big flaw, namely a lack of straight-lined writing. Seeing that the script lacked the necessary hilarity to make it a pure comedy, I'd found it better if they'd stuck with a drama, and it could've been a great one too, that's the sucky part. Round the characters more, explore the potentially great plot lines and you've got a wonderful film script, well worth a watch.You can divide films I dislike into two categories: films that are simply of poor quality (have one very bad aspect or are bad or mediocre all around) or films that waste their potential. 'Chaos Theory' is the latter, I really liked the premise which is why I watched it in the first place: an over-organized guy, with a perfectly fine job, wife and daughter finds his life turned upside down from one day to the next. The situation so it seems, is out of his control. He has made the safe, smart, responsible decisions all his life yet he winds up in a really messy relationship problem, which convinces him to throw all of the principles he clung onto his whole life overboard. He lives, as a he calls it, a life of 'whim', 'chance' and 'passion'.Sounds good? Well, it did to me too...too bad it's only a 6/10
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Chaos
posted on 12 Aug 2009Chaos Theory... Interesting title, attractive cover, interesting storyline. Seems OK, but isn't this like 'one of those many movies'. That was my first feeling.So, at first, this film didn't seem to be a lot to me. But I started watching it and first of all, the title fits the film so well. I really got into the story and the chaos in my head, as following the complicated and frustrating storyline, got so big, I kind of freaked out and was like who cares?! Forget about it! Start clean! Just like...The actors, they totally fit their roles in the film. They are doing a great job together with the films perfect blend of a 'trying to be serious' storyline, humor, and...CHAOS!