The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
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A man with a genetic disorder that causes him to randomly time travel struggles to build a life with a woman whose life is intertwined with his across different eras.
The story
Henry DeTamble is a Chicago librarian living with a rare genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. Because he cannot control when or where he appears, his life is marked by unpredictable jumps to different eras. He eventually meets Clare Abshire, a woman who has known of his existence through his past and future visits. Despite the complications of his condition, they attempt to forge a romantic connection. However, the reality of his condition means their relationship is constantly challenged by his sudden disappearances and the fact that they are meeting each other at different points in their respective timelines.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the 1970s, Henry DeTamble survives a car accident by traveling back in time, and he later learns he is part of a lineage of time travelers. He meets Clare Abshire in 1991, who reveals she met his future self as a child. Their relationship is complicated by Henry's involuntary jumps, which often leave him naked and stranded in different eras. They eventually marry, but his condition makes conceiving a child difficult, leading to a medical intervention. They eventually have a daughter, Alba, who also possesses the ability to travel through time. Alba reveals to Henry that he is destined to die when she is five years old. After a series of tragic events, including a hunting accident, Henry dies in Clare's arms. Years later, a younger version of Henry visits Clare and Alba to provide closure, telling her not to spend her life waiting for him.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Schwentke
- Writers
- Bruce Joel Rubin · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Rachel McAdams · Clare Abshire; Eric Bana · Henry DeTamble; Ron Livingston; Arliss Howard
- Genres
- romantic; science fiction; tragedy
- Themes
- Fate; Time; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Romantic; Tragic
- Premise and plot tags
- Time Travel; Romance; Genetic Disorder
- Source material / true-story basis
- Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 38% · scale: approval rating · review count: 154; Metacritic · score: 47 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Production trivia
- The film rights were optioned by Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's production company before the book was published.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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