IMDb > Twister (1996)
Twister
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Twister (1996) -- A couple on the point of divorce keep meeting each other because both are researchers who chase tornadoes.
Twister (1996) -- A couple on the point of divorce keep meeting each other because both are researchers who chase tornadoes.
Twister (1996) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   57,743 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Michael Crichton (written by) &
Anne-Marie Martin (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Twister on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 May 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The Dark Side of Nature. more
Plot:
A couple on the point of divorce keep meeting each other because both are researchers who chase tornadoes. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(27 articles)
The world's only Bill Paxton pinball machine
 (From Corona's Coming Attractions. 29 September 2009, 11:18 PM, PDT)

Point Break Sequel is Dead
 (From Worst Previews. 11 September 2009, 9:00 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Great fun! more (345 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Catch the Wind (USA) (original script title)
Wind Devils (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of very bad weather.
Runtime:
113 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
A recording of a camel's moan was slowed down and used as the sound of the tornado. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The last twister was an F-5, which can hurl strongly built frame houses from foundations, flatten brick homes and severely damage steel reinforced concrete buildings. Yet after it hit the farm where Jo and Bill sought shelter in the shed, about one third of the barn is still intact and standing and the house has no more damage than several tiles torn from the roof. Also, the farm was in the worst possible place; on the right hand side of the tornado's vortex, where the wind speeds and forward motion of the tornado combine to cause the most damage. In reality, if a real F-5 had hit the farm, only the cement foundation would remain of both the barn and the house. more
Quotes:
Rabbit: In a severe lightning storm, you wanna grab your ankles and stick your butt in the air. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "I Love the '90s" (2004) more
Soundtrack:
Love Affair more

FAQ

Is it true that there's gonna be a special edtion of Twister?
more
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
Great fun!, 2 July 2008
10/10
Author: moviesleuth2

The mid-90's was when Hollywood was hit by the disaster movie bug. Summer after summer came more explosions and associated disasters of some sort. Many of them were actually pretty good, in a rather brainless sort of way. But Jan de Bont's 1996 movie takes the cake. It's the ultimate in summer action adventure.

Granted, the plot is nothing more than an excuse to create some impressive visuals and loud noises (but then again, wasn't de Bont's previous feature "Speed" like that, too?). But it really doesn't matter anyway. Actually, for a movie like this, the story and subplots are pretty well-developed.

Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) is a tornado chaser who, with her team of ragtag scientists, is about to try and get their new science gizmo (appropriately named DOROTHY) up in a tornado to get scientific readings. Enter Bill (Bill Paxton) who has come to get the divorce papers from Jo, but he and his high-strung fiancée (Jami Gertz) decide to tag along to see DOROTHY fly.

"Twister" would be just another round of eye candy (albeit very good eye candy, even by today's standards) if it hadn't been for a cast of extremely likable characters. It's a challenge to make bickering people likable, but Hunt and Paxton do it. They bicker, but it's often funny. Paxton is a normal guy who just wants to move on, but he has a good heart. Hunt is not your typical lady scientist, and her deadpan delivery brings some big laughs. Jami Gertz is fine as the high-strung fiancée who has no idea what she has gotten herself into, and Cary Elwes is perfectly slimy as the rival with money but no brains. Lois Smith has some very memorable and heartfelt scenes as Jo's aunt.

Jan de Bont has a gift for developing a single sentence premise into a roller-coaster ride of a thriller. Just take a look at "Speed," his first venture in the director's chair. "Twister" is just as intense, and if I may say so, a lot more fun. The effects are outstanding, and the cinematography is both beautiful and scary. de Bont also stretches his talent for one liners and physical gags, some of which are laugh out loud hilarious.

I also have to mention Mark Mancina's score. It's delightfully upbeat with a sense of fun that perfectly compliments "Twister." It's enough to get anyone excited for a nearly 2 hour ride. It's a shame that the Oscars didn't recognize his work.

Not everything in "Twister" works. There are a few minor plot holes here and there, and many of the minor characters aren't developed (though they are put to good use in establishing rapport between the characters and the audience-the dialogue feels very real and again is often pretty funny). But these are minor quibbles, and I chose to give this film a 10 despite them because a, they don't dampen the film's entertainment value, and b, no one will notice (or care) unless they are looking at this movie from a critic's point of view.

"Twister" may not be great art, but it sure is great fun!

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