The Time Traveler's Wife

The 2009 movie was directed by Robert Schwentke and based on the novel written by Audrey Niffenegger. Starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams.

(Spoiler Alert: Paragraphs that have SA! in the beginning and are italicized contain possible Spoilers of the movie, tread carefully if you do not want to be spoiled)

Brief Summary

The movie, The Time Traveler's Wife, is from the perspective of Henry DeTamble who has a genetic disorder that allows him to involuntarily travel back in time. This captivating movie shows how Henry struggles with the complexities of life and relationships while constantly moving between the present and the past. This film focuses mainly on Henry's struggle to maintain a strong relationship with Clare Abshire because of his genetic disorder.

This feature seamlessly combines Romance and Science Fiction through the complex themes of family, love, time, free will, fate, and grief. The Time Traveler's Wife is an powerful movie that allows viewers to connect deeply with characters who have to deal with heavy concepts and scientifically impossible situations simultaneously.

Frank Ockenfels. The Time Traveler's Wife. IMDb. (June 17, 2009). Dir. Robert Schwentke. New

Line Cinema. (August 14, 2009). Accessed July 7, 2025.

Age Range

The Time Traveler's Wife is a movie that has some mature content. This film contains some violence, gore, adult language, substance use, and sexual content. Although, there are a few mature situations, in general this movie is very mild. This movie is good for most ages: I would recommend 12 and up.

SA! There are mentions of miscarriages, a person bleeding to death from a gunshot wound, various moderate curse words, depictions of drinking, mentions of Valium use, kissing, and caressing with partial nudity.

Final Impression

The Time Traveler's Wife is an excellent movie that clearly encompasses both Romance and Science Fiction concepts. The plot of the film combines interesting scientific concepts with the simple storyline of Henry's life. The movie was intriguing and the camera shots and angles only made it more interesting. The actors nailed their roles by giving enchanting on screen performances. The Time Traveler's Wife is a wonderful movie that shows the ups and downs of life: the hardships of relationships, starting a family, and having a sci-fi genetic disorder.

4½ Stars