The Time Traveler's Wife is a 2009 film based on Audrey Niffenegger's
2003 novel of the same name. The film is directed by Robert Schwentke and stars
Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams.
Filming began in September 2007, originally in anticipation of a fall 2008
release. The film's release was postponed with initially no official explanation
from the studio. McAdams later noted that the delay was due to reshoots that
could not be completed until the season at their outdoor location matched
previously filmed footage, and Bana had regrown his hair following his work on
the 2009 film
Star
Trek. The film was released in theaters on August 14, 2009.
Premise
Based on the premise of The Time Traveler's Wife, a Chicago librarian (Bana) has
a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel when he is stressed. Though he
often disappears from her life for long periods of time, he tries to build a
romantic relationship with Clare Abshire, an artist (McAdams).
Cast
- Eric Bana as Henry DeTamble, a
Chicago librarian
- Rachel McAdams as Clare Abshire, an
artist
- Ron Livingston as Gomez, Clare and Henry's friend and Charisse's
boyfriend
- Jane McLean as Charisse, Clare's best
friend and roommate.
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Dr. David Kendrick
- Arliss Howard as Richard DeTamble, Henry's father
- Brooklynn Proulx as Young Clare
- Hailey McCann as Alba DeTamble, Henry and Clare's daughter
- Michelle Nolden as Annette DeTamble,
Henry's mother
- Maggie Castle as Alicia Abshire, Clare's younger
sister
- Fiona Reid as Lucille Abshire, Clare's
mother
- Philip Craig as Philip Abshire, Clare's
father
- Brian Bisson as Mark Abshire, Clare's
brother
Production
The film rights for Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel The Time Traveler's Wife
were optioned by Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's production company Plan B
Entertainment, in association with New Line Cinema, before her work was even
published. Niffenegger stated in an interview that she had thoughts of how a
film version of the book would appear, as she was writing the book. When asked
about the prospect of her novel being turned into a film, Niffenegger said,
"I've got my little movie that runs in my head. And I'm kind of afraid that will
be changed or wiped out by what somebody else might do with it. And it is sort
of thrilling and creepy, because now the characters have an existence apart from
me."
In September 2003, the studio hired screenwriter Jeremy Leven to write an
adapted screenplay of the novel. Directors Steven Spielberg and David Fincher
briefly expressed interest in the project, though no negotiations took place. In
March 2005, director Gus Van Sant entered negotiations with the studio to helm
the project. The negotiations did not hold, and in November 2006, director
Robert Schwentke was instead hired to take over the project.
In January 2007, New Line hired screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin to rewrite Leven's
script. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams were cast in April 2007. Filming began in
Toronto on September 10, 2007. It was also shot in Hamilton, Ontario. The film
was originally planned for a fall 2008 release, but it was postponed with no
official explanation from the studio. When asked about the delay, McAdams said,
"We wound up doing a reshoot, and Eric was the holdup ... He had to shave his
head for a different role, for Star Trek, I think. ...We did an
additional scene in the meadow, so we were also waiting on the meadow to look
the way it did [the first time we shot]. So we were waiting on the seasons.
Basically we were waiting on nature and Eric's hair." The film was released by
Warner Brothers on August 14, 2009.
Music
The score to The Time Traveler's Wife was composed by Mychael Danna, who
recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Ocean Way Studios
during the fall of 2008.
Trailer
reception
The trailer for the film was released in early June 2009, and Jeremy Medina of
Entertainment Weekly referred to it as The Notebook crossed with
Benjamin Button. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post wrote that the trailer
"all but guarantees I'll be crying come Aug. 14." Writing for Cinema Blend,
Josh Tyler compared the film to The Notebook, Back to the Future, and
Ghost, and commented: "This could be really, really good. ... The Time
Traveler’s Wife looks like the movie Benjamin Button should have been, and
wasn’t." Charlie Jane Anders of io9 wrote that the trailer "shows the
attractiveness, and horribleness, of a lover who can't stay. (Plus a nifty
'dematerialization' effect.)"
Reception
Based on 108 reviews collected by Rotten
Tomatoes, The Time Traveler's Wife has a 'rotten' 37% approval rating
from critics, with an average score of 5.1/10.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia
article "The Time Traveler's Wife" and is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License.
