story identification - Old movie about aliens and a family; father briefly abducted

About 15 or so years ago, I dimly recall watching a movie on TV about aliens, which really struck a chord, but I can't remember enough to google a name or anything more specific. The action takes place on Earth, perhaps in the USA. It was a live action movie, not animated.

It was about a family; the father (grandfather?) was an army pilot, and when he was flying, he was abducted by aliens (briefly, then returned, I think?). The (grand?)daughter is a little child, and her nanny is trying to teach her telekinetic abilities (perhaps a result of modifications done to the father?). I think I remember her also conjuring up a glowing orb between her hands. The nanny turned out to work for the aliens. There was also something about the government trying to chase/capture the family.

Any help will be appreciated!

Answer

I nominate The Sender (1998) but I don't like imdb's synopses so here's mine, with matches bolded and mismatches capitalized.

In 1965 four US NAVY Corsairs on a recon flight in the Bermuda Triangle (of course) encounter a UFO and one pilot, Jack Grayson, disappears. Today (movie-time) Jack's now-adult son Dallas (Michael Madsen) is a widower raising his young daughter Lisa (Jack's granddaughter) who has cancer, and trying to clear his father's name, when a secret government/military operation from Area 51 (of course) kidnaps Lisa.

He is then aided by Angel, who IS ONE OF the aliens and has been watching over them (unknown to him) because Dallas carries and Lisa manifests the telekinetic 'sender' gene which is rather lamely visualized by swirly green energy 'balls' formed between the hands; the source of the gene is NOT STATED. Angel spends nearly all the movie in the form of a human woman, freeing up the FX budget for near-continuous car, truck and helicopter chases, explosions, and firefights, all in or near Los Angeles.

At the END the alien mothership returns Jack, in a knockoff of Close Encounters.

I don't do clips, but if anyone wants to add one feel free.

Comments

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