I'm reviewing the Directors cut ending, because it ties in with the story and makes
alot more sense.
Evan Treborn suffers from blackouts, and well, no wonder, as there is alot going on in his
childhood. He wakes up in places not knowing how he got there or what happened. His friends are molested by their father,
and that in turn makes his friends violent and insane, and follows an amazing turn of events which make the path for all of
their futures. Evans father also suffered from the same thing and is sent to a instuition so his mother takes Evan to the
doctor about his blackouts, where Evan is told to write a journal everyday so he could help remember. Evans mothers explains
Evan is special to her because she had many still births before he was born.
Now in State U, after reading one of his journals to a friend, he finds he can posess himself
for a short period of time at various stages of his youth where he blacked out and couldn't remember what had happened. When
he realises what he can do, he goes back to the past several times to fix things, but with other things going wrong. He wakes
up from the past (usually covered in blood) to find himself in his new future he created for himself, but every one has a
catch, where something else needs to be fixed. After visiting a doctor, he discovers everytime he goes back to the past his
brain is getting jammed up from all of the new memories being created but leaving the old ones still in there.
Eventually, we return to the opening scene from the beginning, where Evan is hiding under
a desk and writes a note, the camera focusing on 'SAVE HER'. After realising the only way to save himself and everyone else
is to stop himself from coming into the world, he turns on a home movie of his birth and posseses himself from there, and
kills himself inside his mothers womb.
This ending was quite an impact but made more sense than the theaterical version. If it weren't
for him, his friends wouldn't have to live with the father, but they wanted to stay and play with Evan so they didn't leave
with their mother, which is the actual outcome, and everyone is happy.
This film is really hard to explain because there is so much going on, you have to watch it
a few times to understand it. Ashton Kutchers performance is amazing, while the other actors are sort of fluttering around,
but still making an impact.
The Butterfly effect stays with you and really makes you think for quite some time, it's truly
mind numbing! A must see.