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The Time Traveler’s Wife

Movie Grade: C-

DVD Features Grade: B

Overall Grade: C

There is something wrong with the numbers at the American box offices. The Time Traveler’s Wife was placed third at the box office in its opening weekend. It was up against District 9 and G.I. Joe. One of which was an academy award nominated film; the other was a mindless piece of explosion porn, but still brought in the big bucks. The fact that right behind these two films was something like The Time Traveler’s Wife was absolutely shocking. Summer blockbusters have their place, as do generally outstanding films, but there is little place for such a droll film in American movie trends.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a film that not only suffers from an inaccurate trailer, but title as well; the former being almost common, but the latter being down right confusing. Henry (Eric Bana) is a time traveler who is the main focus of our story contrary to the title’s implications. Though this may sound like a gift, it is much more of a burden since Henry cannot control when he travels, where he travels to, or when and where he returns. Apparently the trips usually revolve around important events in his life, like traveling back to see Claire (Rachel McAdams) as a child when he is middle aged before this happens, Claire finds him and, despite her best efforts, lays it on him hard that he had visited her and the two will eventually be married. The two then make their way through their relationship, all while answering the “rules of time travel question” of the film.

Time travel is represented in different ways depending on what piece of fiction you are participating in. Unlike the Back To the Future style threat of altering the space time continuum, or as the non-nerds might call it: messing up the future, The Time Traveler’s Wife has a theory more along the lines of destiny. Because Henry has will eventually go back in time, his future travels to the past have already happened even though he doesn’t know Claire yet. Confused? You should be! Ultimately what all this means is that no matter what Henry does when he travels back in time, the events that follow will always be the same because those events were predetermined. This makes for a boring trip for Henry, and an inconsequential trip for the viewer. Think of it more like looking into the past Christmas Carol style rather than time traveling and it will all be easier for you.

This among other things was addressed in the DVD’s only feature The Time Traveler’s Wife: Love Beyond Words. This feature was assumable titled because they mostly discuss the adaptation from book to film, but is still a stretch on word play. We also get

some background information on characters, and certain decisions made by the director along the lines of wardrobe and settings. Not the most thrilling features, but for the film it accompanies it does a more than adequate job. Even from the perspective of not enjoying the film, the feature is what anyone who enjoyed the film would want.

Whether or not there is something wrong with the American box office is a matter of opinion, but the fact that The Time Traveler’s Wife is extraordinarily lifeless, is not. There are attempts at drama, comedy, and all of that fun stuff; but it never really catches on throughout his entire film. With an actress like Rachel McAdams who has performed in several very popular romantic films, this massive flop comes as an equally massive surprise.

Movie Grade: C-

DVD Features Grade: B

Overall Grade: C