The Time-Traveller's Wife

[children with angels]

Thought this probably deserved it's own topic. Not sure what the status of this is, whether it's actually happening or whether Van Satan is instead pursuing the frightening-sounding Starbucks Saved My Life, but the premise sounds really intiguing.

I was wondering if anyone's read the book? Judging by IMDB message board for the movie, it seems to be one of those novels that inspires rabid hate (necessary 6/6/6 translation: adulation) amongst its fans. The epsidoic, scrappy-sounding plot (guy travels in time to see his wife at different stages in her life) sounds like it'd require a real change in pace and style for Van Satan after his 'death trilogy', maybe encouraging a bit of a return to My Own Private Idaho's beautiful offhand transitory-scrapbook feel. Anyway, sounds interesting...

[MacGuffin]

Trailer here.

Release Date: August 14th, 2009 (wide)

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean

Directed by: Robert Schwentke (Flightplan)

Premise: Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler--cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control.

[picolas]

ooooooh dear.

Van Satan

[B.C. Long]

cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control.

That's directly ripped off from Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Strange.

[Stefen]

^lulz. Tralfamadorians are laughing at the human race.

[polkablues]

So this was actually really, really good. Beautiful to look at, thoughtful, and not pandering for a moment. It's the rare tearjerker that actually earns its tears.

[Kal]

So this was actually really, really good. Beautiful to look at, thoughtful, and not pandering for a moment. It's the rare tearjerker that actually earns its tears.

Yep. I was dragged to see it and actually ended up enjoying it a lot. Eric Bana is the man.

[Gold Trumpet]

Spoilers

Yea, I fall into the line with the said emotions of the film. I think the film felt remorseful not only because the story takes its time, but because the film promoted the remorseful aspects of the story early on. Events in the film foretell Bana's death and you're feeling the pain of his memory when the final scene occurs because you have already considered the full implications of his death as it would affect his whole family. I think the standard approach is to try to make the audience experience the death of someone the way other characters in a story do, unexpected and tragic. That only works occasionally because so rarely do you fully give yourself over to a story to be blindsided by the emotions and not be second guessing the upcoming cliches. I think the films that have done this are ones like The Dreamlife of Angels and Hilary and Jackie, but Time Traveler's Wife is about the idea of this guy's existence and ponders the memory he will have in the future. It doesn't ask you to find your naive bone and yet keeps you enthralled in the emotions as well.