JONATHAN’S WORD: Have you seen a film that is a little bit boring throughout, but by the end, you think the film was brilliant? That was my experience watching
The Time Traveler’s Wife. The film was both original and heartwarming; and if you’re a romantic like me, you might want to keep a Kleenex box nearby.
TODD’S WORD: WHAT??
JONATHAN’S WORD: Yeah, I’m a wus!
TODD’S WORD: I need a minute...go ahead without me.
JONATHAN’S WORD: The film didn’t really catch my attention at first. Henry travels through time without control, returning to the present unannounced. But that doesn’t stop Clare from falling madly in love with him. Henry and Clare try to maintain a relationship despite Henry’s intermittent presence.
TODD’S WORD: I actually found that a little disturbing. Mostly because you didn’t mention he shows up naked every time he time travels. Besides some of that weirdness, I didn’t really like the way they did the flashbacks and flashforwards.
JONATHAN’S WORD: Ok, perhaps the story jumped around a little too much at first. I didn’t feel like I got to know the leads right away. However, I stuck with it, and I eventually was drawn in.
TODD’S WORD: Unfortunately for me...I never got there. Like most time travel movies there were “holes” in the story, but this one had way too many for me.
JONATHAN’S WORD:It’s refreshing to see a film with an original plot. I can honestly say that I’ve seen nothing like this. Sure, one romantic moment might feel like
The Notebook, and another scene might feel a little like
Benjamin Button. And when Henry travels through time, he arrives naked and often has to steal clothes—like in the
Terminator films (that’s a comparison I’m sure the film-makers didn’t foresee anyone using- but I couldn’t help but compare), but the overall storyline is fresh and original.
TODD’S WORD: I knew you would mention the naked time traveling. Oh and comparing it to Terminator does not make up for the Kleenex comment.
JONATHAN’S WORD:The performances were strong. Bana was a convincing Henry, and McAdams was easy to fall in love with. If the film had captured me sooner, I probably would have scored it as a “Theatre Worthy”… but it honestly took a while. Instead I’ll give it a “Rental.” Well worth it! Good date flick.
TODD’S WORD: It is a good date flick...if you are trying to put your date to sleep. I’ll give it a “Skip It”.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
No. It’s rated PG-13 for nudity and sexuality. And to be honest, your kids won’t want to see it. They’ll be bored within the first 15 or 20 minutes.
Side Note:
As said above, we don't recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth
Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the new
Should I Just Smash My Kid's Phone?, and youth ministry books like
Ministry By Teenagers,
Connect: Real Relationships in a
World of Isolation, and the award winning book
Do They Run When They See You Coming? Jonathan
speaks and trains at conferences, churches and events across North
America, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his
websites,
TheSource4YM.com and
TheSource4Parents.com. You can follow Jonathan on
his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help.
Jonathan and his wife Lori, and their three teenagers Alec, Alyssa and Ashley live
in California.
