I was very disappointed with Time Traveler’s Wife. Don’t get me wrong it was well executed, had great acting and cinematography but there was a key element that was simply missing for me. Having never read the book, The Time Traveler's Wife
Why does he travel? Why does he go back if he can’t stay for longer than a conversation? How many times has he tried to save his mom? What’s the point in zapping back to that moment over and over again? He can’t just talk to himself over and over again, that’s just being on constant repeat and I had the impression from later in the movie when he disappeared for two weeks that he still lived two weeks, he just lived them somewhere else.
Did love draw him to the meadow to meet his future wife? Or to the museum to meet his 10 year old daughter? He does hop into the future beyond his death, why doesn’t he tell his wife about those times? Sure, sure he doesn’t want her to wait, but why does he travel if not to meet with his loved ones?
The movie tries to give the impression of eternal life, but it’s a more melancholy message than you would expect. The Time Traveler does die, he can’t live the rest of his life or her life out. He’s not there always even when he’s not there, no matter what his wife and daughter say before the credits roll.
To tell you the truth, I was extremely disappointed with his wife in the end. He tells her that he doesn’t want her to wait and she folds his clothes up and walks back to the house with their daughter? She defied him once she should do it again – stick those clothes back on the stump and add a note or a cell phone and tell him what for! Ugh! It was terribly frustrating.
I have two sticking points in the story that didn’t cut it for me in the film. First, Eric Bana as Henry meeting Clare at six was just plain creepy. It was such a bizarre moment that almost read father to daughter, not how I would have scripted or kept as acted. I would have rerun it again and again until it was more subtle less patronizing or whatever the word is I’m looking for. Second, Alba as a time traveler, even if she does have control over her ‘gift’. I would not want a little girl to be hopping time without clothes on even if she could pick a lock – double creepy!
Rachel McAdams however was wonderful from start to finish. Loved her. She’s so cute and perfect for the role of older Clare. Her expressive face really carries the more poignant of scenes. She is truly a gifted actress and I would watch her in just about anything.
Overall though, for me this was a movie I’d see just once.
Rating: 2 Stars
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2 Stars, Contemporary, Movie Reviews, Time Travel
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8 comments ↓
What is it about Henry that would make Claire fall in love with him an marry him knowing he has this problem? Love is about sacrifice, but having her husband jump through time at a moment’s notice? He should have stayed far away and never allowed himself to contact her or see her because that is just plain selfish on his part.
But that Eric Bana is sure nice to look at.
I don’t know – if the movie is accurate in showing mini-conversations before another jump I don’t see how there could be time for her to learn about him and fall in love with him.
That’s something Clare accuses him of when he tells her about his vasectomy.
I read the book and STILL have those questions. It’s never explained why/how he jumps, but in the book at least it is explained that he’s in the past/future for different time lengths (just not the hows or whys).
I found Henry to be very selfish concerning Claire, and rather child-like when something bad happens to him. He’s almost blase when it concerns others, since he has this ‘burden’ of the time jumping, but he can’t cope when it’s him.
I disliked the book on many levels, not the least was the giant plot hole a Transformer could fly through towards the end. (No spoilers, here, though.) 2 stars for the book is about accurate. For me at least.
[...] To read Book Girl’s review, go here. [...]
Aw, I’m sorry you didn’t like it more. I haven’t seen the movie but I loved the book. The only downside to me was the fact that the language didn’t always match the sentiments, i.e., too much swearing. I tried not to ask too many questions about the time travel, but I liked the way the relationship developed, so they must not have portrayed it very well in the film.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The book is one of my favorites. I would have liked to see the awful things Henry went through when he traveled more, and at the end I would have liked to see Clare as an 80 yr old.
Haha not me.
Humiliation by pink 12 yo clothes and amputated feet is more than plenty.
I really enjoyed it and will see it again. I love stuff about time travel and like to question how and why, leaves for to my imagination. I have never read the book though.
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