Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., Donald Sutherland, Maura Tierney, George Dzundza, John Ashton
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Producers: Barbara Boyle, Michael Taylor
Screenplay: Gerald Di Pego, inspired by "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn
Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot
Music: Danny Elfman
U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Instinct is a perfect example of how solid directing and good acting can almost redeem a derivative story. There isn't an original moment in this motion picture, which gleefully cribs from at least a half-dozen sources, yet the final result is occasionally effective and involving. The main reason is that we develop a rooting interest in the characters, and the credit for this goes to Jon Turteltaub (Phenomenon, While You Were Sleeping), who helmed the production, and his two leading performers, Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr., both of whom are in fine form.
Two years ago, Dr. Ethan Powell (Hopkins) went into the jungles of Africa to study gorillas. A noted anthropologist and primatologist, Powell had a better rapport with his subjects than with his own daughter, Lynn (Maura Tierney). After disappearing for an undisclosed period of time, Powell returned to civilization in chains - an unkempt mute with rage in his eyes and a murder conviction hanging over his head. After having been found guilty of clubbing two men to death and injuring several others, he is being returned to the United States. There, in the psychiatric wing of Florida's maximum security prison Harmony Bay, he is to be evaluated by Theo Caulder (Gooding Jr.), a rising psychiatrist who has taken the job to cement his future. But Powell turns out to be a far more complex, compelling, and dangerous individual than Caulder imagined, and, the deeper he is drawn into the case, the more tenuous his grasp upon objectivity becomes.
Instinct contains strong echoes of the following movies: Gorillas in the Mist (a human studying and living with gorillas), Dances with Wolves (a man "going native"), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (life in a psychiatric ward), Awakenings (a doctor striving to break through to a patient), and, most obviously, Tarzan. Familiar plot devices and stereotyped characters abound, including a requisite moment of emotional triumph (in a scene where inmates rip up playing cards), a warden who's as big a weasel as anyone this side of The Shawshank Redemption, and an older, wiser psychiatrist (played by Donald Sutherland) who warns Caulder not to get involved. Thankfully, there is no romantic liaison between Caulder and Lynn - or at least not one that's overtly developed.
Still, despite the diverse sources and lack of originality, Instinct flows remarkably well. The story draws us in, and, especially for those who are sensitive to environmental issues, the primary theme of man's destructive need to control his world has resonance. The gorillas, created by effects wizard Stan Winston, are among the most realistic ever to appear on screen. For those who prefer to focus on humans, it's worth noting that several of the one-on-one confrontations between Powell and Caulder are riveting. However, while most will agree that the end of the film is emotionally satisfying, the final solution challenges the viewer's willing suspension of disbelief.
As Powell, Anthony Hopkins is given an opportunity to display his range as an actor. From a crazed, rampaging lunatic to a man broken and grieving because of loss, Hopkins never misses a beat. At times, there's even a little of Hannibal Lecter lurking just beneath the surface. Cuba Gooding Jr.'s work may not be as emotive as Hopkins' (and, therefore, will not get as much press), but the younger actor holds his own in every scene opposite the veteran. As Caulder, Gooding is far more restrained than in his Academy Award winning part in Jerry Maguire, but the same intensity is evident. Instinct is basically a two-character film. The supporting players, including Maura Tierney, George Dzundza as the prison shrink, Donald Sutherland, and John Ashton as a vicious guard, all have minor roles.
One could easily argue that Instinct is being mis-marketed. Every preview and ad for the movie touts it as a thriller, which it is not. This is a drama about the darker aspects of human nature, and about how tenuous the line is between man and beast. At slightly over two hours, Instinct runs longer than it needs to (as is true of far too many movies these days), but, at least for the majority of those 120 minutes, it tells a diverting story about interesting characters.
© 1999 James Berardinelli