About Time (2013)
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A young man with the ability to travel back in time tries to navigate the complexities of love and family life.
The story
Tim Lake grows up in Cornwall and discovers that the men in his family possess the ability to travel back in time to moments they have lived before. While his father warns him against using this gift for personal gain like wealth or fame, Tim decides to use his ability to improve his romantic life. After a series of complications and missed opportunities, he meets Mary, a woman who becomes the focus of his efforts. As he navigates the consequences of altering the past to secure a future with her, Tim must learn the true meaning of happiness and the limitations of changing what has already occurred.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Tim Lake discovers his family can travel back in time to moments they have lived. He uses this gift to navigate his romantic life, eventually meeting and marrying Mary. However, his attempts to fix his sister Kit Kat's life by changing her past lead to complications, including the realization that some events, like his father's terminal illness, cannot be changed without erasing his own life's milestones. After his father passes away, Tim learns to appreciate the present moment. He and Mary eventually have more children, and Tim ultimately decides to stop using his gift, choosing to live each day as if it were the only time he experiences it.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Richard Curtis
- Writers
- Richard Curtis · writer
- Cast and characters
- Domhnall Gleeson · Tim Lake; Rachel McAdams · Mary; Bill Nighy · James; Tom Hollander · Harry; Margot Robbie · Kit Kat
- Genres
- romantic fantasy comedy-drama; science fiction
- Themes
- happiness in ordinary life; the limitations of time travel; family relationships
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; romantic
- Setting
- Cornwall and London, contemporary period.
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; romance; magical realism
- Reception
- The film received mixed to favorable reviews from critics, being described as sentimentally told and romantic, though some critics noted its reliance on familiar tropes and plot holes regarding the rules of time travel.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · scale: percentage · review count: 168; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Production trivia
- The film was dedicated to actor Richard Griffiths, who died a few months before the release.; The production used a real house, Porthpean House, as Tim's family home.; The film was a surprise success in South Korea, watched by more than three million people.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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