I am a humongous Richard Curtis Fan. Notting Hill? Two words: Hugh Grant. Four Weddings and A Funeral? Three words: Hugh Grant AGAIN. Pirate Radio? I’ve watched it repeatedly in the same day. Love Actually? That kid with the drums gets me every time. Curtis even wrote one of my favorite (and yes, I know it’s cliché), Doctor Who episodes: “Vincent and The Doctor.” The element of his work that I most adore is the way in which he writes his characters. Crafting three-dimensional human beings who the audience can connect and identify with is something I aspire to do correctly, as well as supply the witty and enchanting dialogue that comes with each of Curtis’ characters. The aforementioned films are all favorites of mine, and now I can add another to the list. On top of being a Richard Curtis fan, I am also a giant supporter of Bill Nighy (No, NOT the Science Guy) and the concept of time travel (I’m a huge Doctor Who fan if you couldn’t already tell!), so naturally, what came next was fate.
I saw the preview for About Time when I went to AMC 24 with my mom to see the female buddy cop movie, The Heat, and to be honest, I got more joy out of that 3 minute trailer than I did throughout the entire 117 of the movie I actually came for. My thought process went something like this:
- Ooh, I love voiceovers in trailers
- BILL NIGHY IS IN THIS?!?!!??!?!!?
- Wow, I really like Tim’s sweater
- OH MY GOD THIS IS A RICHARD CURTIS FILM
- Oh, wow. I like this song. This is a good trailer song. (Listen to “Lakehouse” by Of Monsters and Men, you won’t be sorry!)
- Hey, wait, didn’t Rachel McAdams play a time travelers wife already?
- OH MY GOD
- I HAVE TO SEE IT. RIGHT. NOW.
- I’m going to cry like a baby when I see this
- Repeat numbers 7 and 8 until you’re in a fetal position on the floor.
On the outside, About Time is a film about time travel. But once you delve deeper, it tells a tale of exactly what the title says: time, and what comes with it. This film explores love and loss, family and friendship, temptation, and the art of maintaining tremendous spirit in a world where anything could happen at any given moment.
Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson (You may recognize him as the eldest Weasley brother from the Harry Potter films) is told by his father, played by Bill Nighy, that he is able to travel in time – as all men in their family can. With this gift, Tim tries to make his life as good as it can be. His main focus: love, of course! Soon he meets Mary, and that’s that. Along the way, Tim learns that there are some things that you cannot go back and try to fix without changing your current situation. And sometimes that sucks.
During a time when action-packed Ferrari Flicks (my term for movies with lots o’ car chases) and gun slinging superheroes have taken over the big screen, it is very easy for a film like About Time to be overlooked, sinking down into the Couch Cushion Limbo at the corner of That Looks Too Artsy and What A Bore, chilling between the twenty bucks you lost two months ago and the spare button for that one stained jacket you donated to the thrift store. It is a very subtle, very quiet, very lovely and inspiring movie. It may seem like some gushy romantic comedy a la Nicholas Sparks, which may turn a lot of people off, and it’s true, a boy and a girl do meet and fall in love, but the relationships that compelled me the most were between Tim and his father, and Tim and his black sheep of a sister, Kit-Kat. The love between all of the characters is intensely moving though, and is something that I aspire to have in all relationships in my life.
I don’t want to give too much away. Spoilers! But I will say that the two hours you spend watching About Time is definitely not a waste of time… See what I did there? Watch the trailer, here! And, if you can, please go see it at your local movie theater! Or travel a few towns over. Doesn’t matter. Definitely try a matinee – it’s a lot cheaper!
Before I leave you, here are…
20 Life Lessons I Learned From About Time.
- The British drink a lot of tea.
- You can’t fix people, all you can do is try your best to support them on their journey to fixing themselves.
- Some playwrights get very angry, especially if you disturb their writing process.
- You can’t possess all of the answers. Some things are better left –
- Sweaters are a staple item of clothing that every person must add to their wardrobe.
- Bill Nighy tugs at my heartstrings in a fantastically brilliant way (Okay, I already knew that, but this furthered my belief).
- If it starts to rain on your wedding day, don’t stress, just move it inside!
- The crappy things in life happen to even the greatest of men.
- Allow yourself to feel any and all emotions; do not restrict yourself the experience of being human and alive.
- If you try to force something that just isn’t meant to be, do not be upset at the outcome.
- Guys really don’t care to be a part of women not being able to figure out what to wear.
- Make every day count, and if today is crappy, try to find the smallest good thing.
- We only have one lifetime to read all of the books that we want to read, so get to reading!
- Kate Moss is an exceptional model.
- Low-key proposals are way more romantic than the alternative.
- Rachel McAdams has to be a professional time traveler’s wife by now.
- Not everything goes according to plan, and that’s OKAY!
- Make sure you take some time for yourself. Don’t forget to live for you.
- Sometimes all it takes is one chance. Sometimes, once is good enough.
- Do not forget the people who made you who you are today.