Still, the small joys offered by this optimistic, hopeful parable, and the small-town characters on display (especially those played by Duvall and Whitaker) are well worth the wallow. As for Travolta, he clearly understands the importance of subtlety on the big screen, since the medium tends to exaggerate every nuance.

Director John Turteltaub, whose light comic sensibility enlivened a couple of other cliche-ridden efforts - "While You Were Sleeping" and "Cool Runnings" - is better with the lighter moments than those that are sentimental. And he should have encouraged screenwriter Gerald DiPego ("Sharkey's Machine," the recent TV movie "Nothing Lasts Forever") to steer clear of some of the more obvious we've-seen-them-all-before moments here. (And can we please put a moratorium on stupid music-video transition sequences?)

Happily, however, the film manages to maintain its character-driven nature, despite the gim-micks. And the resolution is satisfying, without a ridiculous sci-fi answer to its questions . . . though the film's previews suggest that it could have gone off in that direction.

"Phenomenon" is rated PG for a few scattered profanities and vulgar remarks, brief partial nudity (Duvall mooning Travolta through a window) and though Travolta and Sedgwick do end up in bed together, the sex is offscreen.