My Favourite Movies: Twister

This is another one of those films that I’m not sure if I saw it at the cinema or not. But as it came out in 1996 I’m thinking that I did – probably in the city centre flea pit before they built the out of town multiplex.

I probably saw it because of the two stars: Bill Paxton who I like a great deal and his co-star, and love interest here, Helen Hunt who is quite simply marvellous as his soon to be ex-wife. Of course in any adventure, CGI fest, romantic comedy (or whatever multiple genre this film falls into) there are complications piled on complications. Paxton plays Bill ‘the extreme’ Harding an ex-storm chaser now weather man who is about to start a new life with a sex therapist played by Jami Gertz. All he needs to do is get his estranged wife Dr Jo Harding (Hunt) to sign the papers. But she’s in the field trying to learn as much about tornadoes as she can. So as she chases storms Bill chases her and soon discovers what attracted him to storm chasing at to Jo in the first place.

Peppered with excellent co-stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck, Cary Elwes and Todd Field, this is a film that just doesn’t stop from the off. It is, in effect, a chase movie – although what they chase are tornadoes rather than other people/cars/objects. These are unpredictable and highly dangerous events rendered (rather crudely to be honest) using CGI but still with the power to add significant drama to the piece. Peppered also with lots of funny moments – the cow scene particularly made me laugh (CGI so no worries) – and some hair raising ones too (crop dusters, tankers full of fuel and complete combined harvesters falling from the sky can certainly get the pulse racing!) the whole movie is a rollercoaster affair. The object we discover about half way in is to launch a probe – or number of small probes – into the funnel of the storm to read data in real-time allowing future scientists and engineers to develop better early warning systems to save lives (if not property) from the tornadoes. If you haven’t seen the film I won’t give away if they succeed or not (but I’m sure you can guess).

The best thing for me in the film was the relationship between Paxton and Hunt which was a lot of fun to watch. I couldn’t help wonder just how much of it was ad libbed as the conversations between them – arguments really - moved at a cracking pace with interrupts, laughs, protests, sarcasm, biting comments and much more coming at a blistering speed that made every moment a delight to watch and which gave the whole thing a sense of realism that a more structured form would have failed to give. Of the two Hunt is my favourite in this. She’s funny, smart, witty, strong, and did I mention really funny? I was honestly really taken with her screen persona even after multiple watching’s. She fizzles with energy that is both exciting and exhausting to watch. Being with her (the character) in real life (up on the screen if that’s not too paradoxical) would’ve been a hell of a ride if you could only keep up with her. It’d be fun to try, and that, I think, is the central thing about this movie. It’s fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s not profound and it doesn’t try too hard to win you over and that’s a big part of the charm. Just sit back, strap yourself in and enjoy this highly entertaining mixture of multiple genres.