In the 2013 romantic comedy,About Time, Tim discovers that the men in his family have the ability to time travel, and as a result, Tim decides to use this newfound power to get a girlfriend. At first, Tim sets his sights on his sister’s friend, Charlotte, who is staying at his home over the summer. However,once Tim realizes that Charlotte isn’t into him, no matter when he asks her out, he decides to move on by moving to Londonand pursuing his career as a lawyer. That is where he meets the true love of his life, Mary.
Tim uses his time travel in a number of ways to help his friends and create the perfect meeting between himself and Mary. Eventually, his efforts succeed, and he and Mary begin dating. Soon enough,Tim asks Mary to marry him, and the two quickly become pregnant with their first child. Yet, in the midst of Tim and Mary’s happiness, Tim’s family begins to struggle. Tim’s sister faces an abusive relationship and alcoholism, while his father becomes sick. Like inmany time-travel movies, Tim comes to terms with the fact that he cannot make his life perfect with time travel.
Tim’s Decision To Stop Using Time Travel Explained
Tim Learns To Appreciate Life
At the end ofAbout Time,Tim decides to stop using time travel, despite the ways it has helped him in the past. The big reason for this shift is that Tim realizes he doesn’t need to turn back time to appreciate life. After spending so much time trying to perfect his life and those of the people he loves,Tim discovers that life will be a mixed bag no matter what, and so he should try and appreciate every moment as it happens, even if things turn out poorly. Tim’s new philosophy is shown through a touching final scene.
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The very end ofAbout Timesees Tim getting up to take care of his three children, allowing Mary to sleep in. He explains to the audience that he no longer uses time travel because he lives every day as if it is the second time. Then, viewers see him making breakfast for his children and bringing his oldest to school. His daughter continues running back out to wave goodbye to him, and this heartfelt moment symbolizes how people can make the most of life, even in the most mundane moments.
What Happens To Tim’s Father (And Why Can’t Tim See Him Again?)
About Time’s Big Time Travel Rule Explained
One of the biggest shocks ofAbout Timeis the revelation that Tim’s father is dying of cancer. Although his father used his time travel as often as possible to extend his life, he has now worsened to the extent that he only has weeks left to live. This obviously upsets Tim, but unlike the rest of his family members,Tim has the ability to revisit his father, even after his death. Tim does exactly that on the day of his father’s funeral, excusing himself for a few minutes to spend some time with his father, who is rereading Dickens.
According to the time travel rules ofAbout Time,time travelers shouldn’t go back in time before the birth of their child because this could completely change the identity of the baby.
However, this blessing cannot last for Tim. What changes Tim’s extra time with his father is the fact that Tim and Mary are about to have another baby. According tothe time travel rules ofAbout Time,time travelers shouldn’t go back in time before the birth of their child because this could completely change the identity of the baby. Therefore,once Tim’s third child is born, he will not be able to visit his father without risking his child’s identity.Therefore, Tim spends one final afternoon from his childhood with his dad.
Why Tim Has To Change His First Meeting With Mary Several Times
What Tim Learns About His Meetings With Mary
The other major plot point ofAbout Timeis the romance between Tim and Mary. Initially, Tim meets Mary during a blind dinner. Tim gets Mary’s number and is thrilled, but ends up going back in time to help his roommate’s play succeed. Thus,Tim loses Mary’s number and their time together.Next, Tim meets Mary at a Kate Moss exhibit and makes a fool of himself. Worse, he discovers Mary has a new boyfriend. So, Tim goes back one final time to a party where he approaches Mary first, leading to a perfect first date.
Will Merrick
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Tim’s situation with Mary shows how he can use his abilities to get a girlfriend, but it also teaches Tim about what he can and can’t do with his time travel. As shown by their very first date,Tim usually must choose between one event or another: his roommate’s play or meeting Mary. Furthermore, Tim learns that going back in time doesn’t always fix the situation, as Mary had already met someone else. In this way, Tim’s relationship with Mary sets up the rest ofthe time travel rules in the movie.
Why Tim Ultimately Doesn’t Follow These Rules
InAbout Time,Tim learns what his father’s rules for happiness are. The first is to use time travel as little as possible, letting life happen as it should. The second is to relive every day at least once so that one learns to appreciate the small happy moments within the monotony of life.Tim ends up following these rules, reliving a particularly bad day that ends up becoming betteronce Tim lives it again. However, as previously mentioned, Tim gives up time travel altogether by the end of the film in order to fully accept life’s ups and downs.
How Tim Gives Kit Kat A Happy Ending
What Kit Kat’s Situation Teaches Tim
Although Tim isAbout Time’smain character, the movie has a number of other wonderful characters, including Tim’s sister, Kit Kat. Around the time of Tim’s child’s first birthday, it becomes clear that Kit Kat is on a bad path, as she gets into a car accident after drinking and driving. Though Tim tries to prevent the situation by making sure Kit Kat never meets her abusive boyfriend, this changes the identity of Tim’s daughter. Therefore,Tim must help Kit Kat in the present day, without the help of his time travel.
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Luckily, Tim’s efforts are successful. After Tim spends a significant amount of time with her in the hospital, Kit Kat comes to realize that she needs to leave her boyfriend and stop drinking. The only way Tim uses his time travel in the situation is by suggesting Kit Kat date his friend, who Kit Kat was dating in another timeline. Ultimately,Kit Kat’s situation teaches Tim that he cannot and should not fix everything with time travel.
What Tim’s Reunion With Charlotte Means
Why Tim’s Proposal Is About Time’s Sweetest Moment
One final moment of importance is when Tim reunites with Charlotte. After fumbling through a few failed meetings with her,Tim is approached by Charlotte, who seems to be very impressed with him.The two go out for dinner together and Charlotte attempts to get Tim to come home with her. Tim ultimately declines and goes home to Mary, where he proposes to her. This moment is incredibly touching because it shows just how much Tim loves Mary. Although he was moments away from having his first love, he decides to choose Mary, because she has always chosen him.
Of all the romantic moments inAbout Time,this may be one of the best.Tim’s proposal is not a melodramatic event, but a simple and sweet momentbetween Tim and Mary. Though the proposal is far from glamorous, it fits perfectly with the nature of Tim and Mary’s relationship. They are open and honest about their love for each other, so their proposal doesn’t need to have all the bells and whistles. This scene truly encapsulates the simple love between the characters.
What About Time’s Ending Really Means
Why More People Should Watch About Time
In the end,About Timeuses time travel to tell a story about life and love. Through the use of his time travel, Tim learns to appreciate every moment of his life, and in turn, audiences may be inspired to do the same.About Timeteaches viewers that life will never be perfect, and so they should accept the bad in the same way they accept the good. On top of that,About Timeoffers audiences some truly touching moments of love, loss, and growth.The movie’s unexpected depth will leave viewers thinking long after it has ended.
About Timeis available to stream on Netflix and to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
About Timeis truly one of themost underrated rom-coms of all time, which is a big reason why more people should watch it.About Timeshowcases a full range of emotions, from comedy to drama, to love and grief. Although Tim and Mary’s relationship is at the core of the film,About Timeexplores so much more than just their romance. The movie takes on the Herculean task of making audiences fall in love with their lives, and for some, it definitely succeeds.
About Time
Cast
When Tim Lake learns that he, like all the men in his family, has the ability to travel back in time, he decides to use this ability to help him find love and improve his and his loved ones' lives.
