Love transcends time in romantic film

By Katherine Johnson

True love knows no boundaries, especially when one person has the ability to jump through time to visit the one he loves, as is the case in The Time Traveler’s Wife.

In the movie, based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, Claire Abshire (Rachel McAdams, The Notebook) is a young girl who is swept away by an older man, Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana, The Other Boleyn Girl), who mysteriously appears to her while she is in a clearing.

As Claire grows up she begins to see Henry more and more, but he curiously ages inconsistently in the time that goes by between their encounters. He eventually confides in her that he is a time traveler, the result of some rare genetic condition that causes him to disappear over time, and that eventually they will be together.

However, all is not as happy as it may seem. At times Henry disappears into thin air, leaving Claire clueless as to when he is coming back, though he always reappears. He may be a little older or younger, and on one occurrence he does not know that they are together, but he always shows up again.

Despite the major inconvenience that his condition causes, the couple still goes through life as normally as they possibly can. They get married, find a house and have a baby, all the while facing challenges that most normal couples would never in a million years have to deal with, and yet they still make it through together.

While the film may seem like it would have a confusing plot and would be difficult to follow, director Robert Schwentke (Flightplan) makes everything easy to understand. Any viewer will be able to tell that the movie clearly follows, for the most part, Claire’s journey through life and the encounters she has with Henry. However, some of the movie may seem a little confusing until the end when everything is pieced together.

Bana does an excellent job pulling off the various ages he has to portray in the movie. His character goes through the span of his whole life and has to change ages multiple times in scenes. For example, in the wedding scene, Henry disappears, and when he appears again he is much older and has gray hair, but by the end of their reception he is young again.
McAdams, known for her work in romance movies like The Notebook, lives up to expectations and acts perfectly for the role. While it may not necessarily be a new type of character for McAdams, it certainly is one that she was meant to play.

Overall, the casting for the movie is perfect. It was almost difficult to tell that these were not the actors’ real lives, but a part they were playing in a movie, a quality that many casting directors strive to achieve.

While the movie may not be Oscar-worthy, it is definitely a must-see for those who love romance movies, and it will not disappoint. With the various plot twists and an idea that not many have heard about before, The Time Traveler’s Wife is a great movie to watch on a night in.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is showing tonight and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the BLC Theater.