At the age of 21, Tim Lake discovers he can travel in time. The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tim's father tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. Tim can't change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life -- so he decides to make his world a better place... by getting a girlfriend. Sadly, that turns out not to be as easy as you might think.
Moving from the Cornwall coast to London to train as a lawyer, Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary. They fall in love, then an unfortunate time-travel incident means he's never met her at all. So they meet for the first time again -- and again -- but finally, after a lot of cunning time-traveling, he wins her heart. Tim then uses his power to create the perfect romantic proposal, to save his wedding from the worst best-man speeches, to save his best friend from professional disaster and to get his pregnant wife to the hospital in time for the birth of their daughter, despite a nasty traffic jam outside Abbey Road. But as his unusual life progresses, Tim finds out that his unique gift can't save him from the sorrows and ups and downs that affect all families, everywhere.
From Script to Screen
The genesis for About Time ignited from a conversation that Curtis had with a friend about what they would do if they were told that they had only 24 hours left to live. "We both decided that we'd want a very normal day at home with the family, doing the things you normally do," recalls Curtis. "I thought it was an interesting observation, and the next step was how I would be able to incorporate this into a movie. It would have to be about someone who could manipulate their final day or manipulate their life in some way to enable them to come to that conclusion. That's when I thought about time travel."
Curtis says that About Time is an evolution for him, as his early work very much focuses upon the relationships among friends. He shares: "Four Weddings is, in many ways, as much a film about friendship as it is about love. There were a lot of friendships in Love Actually as well." Naturally, Curtis' interest in human dynamics evolved as he grew older. "With my mum and dad passing away within the last five years, and with my children all growing up, I am a family man most of all. This film has as much to do with a brother and sister, a father and mother as it has to do with love. And, of course, when two people fall in love, they are finally going to turn into a mother and a father, and you see that happening during the course of the film."
The comedy reunites Curtis with Working Title producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, for the eleventh time in 25 years. Remembers Bevan: "We did our first film together in 1983 called The Tall Guy. All of Richard's films have a lot of familiarities, but are always breaking new ground. The authenticity of a Richard film is that it will make you laugh, cry and think. About Time returns to the 'Curtisian' world in the same vein as Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral, but this feels more grown- up and more reflective. He set out to make a movie to reflect on the good and bad things in life and to make you appreciate what's in front of you."
Although Fellner finds it difficult to believe that they've spent a quarter of a century creating work together, he's similarly impressed by his longtime friend's evolution as a filmmaker. He notes: "Richard never settles for good. He pushes himself as an artist to best his previous work, and audiences respect that drive. His stories are so deeply personal, so intimate that it's impossible not to be drawn into them. I appreciate that he finds humor in the pathos of our everyday experiences and makes the humdrum extraordinary."
While love and family were integral in the creation of Curtis' vision, the time-travel aspect would make scripting a very calculated endeavour. Curtis was careful to make sure rules were in place for Tim and his Dad as they travel through time, so as to make the film's concept less fantasy and more endearing. So, what exactly are those rules? The first is that time travel may not happen before a man in this family is 21. The second is that one must go into a small dark place -- such as a cupboard, closet or wardrobe -- clench his fists and think of the specific time, date, place and address of where he wants to go. The third is that he can only go to an event in his own past that he can remember; he can't go into the future or way back into history. The fourth? Every decision he makes will have ramifications on his future.
Producer Nicky Kentish Barnes adds that she admired the unorthodox narrative put forth by the film's writer/director. She says: "About Time is very autobiographical, in a sense; it's bits of Richard's life all put together in a beautiful and well-crafted story. The story is very emotional; we had grown men crying on reading the script. It is a slight, sort-of- magic realism with the time-travel aspect, but it adds to the emotional content, rather than feeling that it's taking you out of the story."
With the shooting script locked, Curtis and his producers set about the exciting task of finding a young couple who could give voice to his words, along with a set of family and friends to populate this unique world.
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Margot Robbie, Domhnall Gleeson, Lydia Wilson, Vanessa Kirby
Screenplay by: Richard Curtis
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: November 8, 2013
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