Clare (Rachel McAdams) has been in love with Henry (Eric Bana) her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler-cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through the years with no control. Despite the fact that Henry’s travels force them apart with no warning, and never knowing when they will be reunited, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.
Your future is my past. For you, none of it has happened yet, but for me…I’ve known you since I was six. – Clare
The day Henry saw Clare for the first time she had known him for years. From the time she was a young girl, he had been her best friend, her confidant, her not-so-secret crush.
Henry is a time traveler. He has a rare genetic anomaly that forces him to live his life never knowing when he will suddenly find himself in another place, another year. The man Clare has known all her life is Henry in years to come. On his travels back in time, he had met the girl who would become his wife. Now grown up, Clare has finally caught up with Henry…and introduces herself to the man she has loved all her life.
Director Robert Schwentke asserts that its title notwithstanding, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is not a science fiction film. “It is an emotional journey about two people in a relationship, and the time travel is the catalyst for things that both strengthen and test their bond. You could argue that time travel is the thing that brought them together, but it ultimately causes all sorts of conflicts. So I saw it as an opportunity to make a great love story, but at the same time we were able to weave some undercurrents into the fabric of that relationship. That feels more truthful to me, especially in a story that starts out with two people who are given the incredible gift of finding the person with whom they belong. It’s important that at some point they earn it.”
The director’s outlook is shared by the film’s stars. Rachel McAdams, who plays Clare, observes, “A love story is more interesting when the two people are going through life’s ups and downs and their love must persevere. I think a love that can withstand the biggest obstacles is inspiring and the obstacle Clare and Henry face is certainly very challenging.”
Read the Full Production Notes
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean
Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Screenplay by: Jeremy Leven, Bruce Joel Rubin
Release Date: August 14, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality.
Studio: New Line Cinema
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $61,182,612 (89.8%)
Foreign: $6,963,888 (10.2%)
Total: $68,146,500 (Worldwide)