Go to the "The Trigger Effect" Page

'Trigger': Shoot Out the Lights

David Koepp is used to writing for big-deal movies ("Jurassic Park," "Carlito's Way" and "Mission: Impossible"). In his directorial debut, "The Trigger Effect," he's given himself a smaller, but more commendable challenge. "The Trigger Effect," which he also scripted, is about the breakdown of civilization, but it's done with a modest budget. Instead of employing special effects, enormous crowds and other expensive conceits, Koepp opts for an intimate, human scope.

What exactly causes the societal breakdown? It's never quite explained, but without warning or explanation the whole electromagnetic comfort cushion -- computers, electricity, telephones and CNN -- suddenly goes poof. And we observe three people (played by Kyle MacLachlan, Elisabeth Shue and Dermot Mulroney) whose lives are radically affected.

Just before this cloud of darkness descends on humanity, the disaster is heralded by racial tension at a movie theater. When Annie (Shue) asks two black moviegoers to stop talking, one of them insults her. Annie's husband, Matt (MacLachlan), has to swallow his pride and usher his spouse to another seat.

Later that night, Matt and Annie, whose infant daughter is suffering from a feverish ear infection, wake up to a city with no power. When Matt tries to get his daughter's prescription filled, the pharmacist (who has received no telephone call from the pediatrician) refuses to provide the antibiotic. When Matt demands his medicine, the pharmacist threatens to beat him up. Matt is forced to break into the drugstore to get what he needs.

As looting permeates the city and neighbors arm themselves, Matt's strong-arm builder-friend Joe (Mulroney) moves into the house. His arrival makes Annie feel more secure in light of the prowlers and marauders about, but it also elicits a quasi-sexual response, setting off the already-frazzled Matt.

After a burglary in their house, Matt, Annie and Joe decide to load up and drive to Annie's family in Colorado. But their route is beset by desperate wayfarers, including a hulking stranger (Michael Rooker) who's looking -- with alarming determination -- for gasoline. Fate also brings them face to face with Raymond (Richard T. Jones), one of the moviegoers they came close to blows with.

"The Trigger Effect" enjoys bursts of energy as people confront each other in low-budget groups of twos and threes, but it never becomes the subtly powerful experience Koepp was clearly after. Even in small-scale human matters, the movie's hardly penetrating. The Postman-Rings-Twice business among Matt, Annie and Joe, for instance, feels contrived and cliched. And frustratingly, there's never a point when the audience is told what happened or how widespread and permanent this blackout problem is.

You realize things will never be given wider scope when -- in an obvious budgetary move -- Matt and company look through their skylight to see a helicopter. All we see is a shadow crossing their house while the sound of a helicopter plays over the soundtrack. Like that nonexistent whirlybird, we're kept out of the big picture.

THE TRIGGER EFFECT (R) -- Contains sexual situations, strong language and violence.