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The Time Traveler's Wife

Play trailer Poster for The Time Traveler's Wife PG-13 2009 1h 47m Romance Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
38% Tomatometer 152 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Chicago librarian Henry De Tamble (Eric Bana) suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes him to drift uncontrollably back and forth through time. On one of his sojourns, he meets the love of his life, Clare (Rachel McAdams), and they marry. But the problems and complexities of any relationship are multiplied by Henry's inability to remain in one time and place, so that he and his beloved are continually out of sync.
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The Time Traveler's Wife

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Critics Consensus

Though it may satisfy fans of the novel, The Time Traveler's Wife's plot contrivances and illogical narrative hamper its big screen effectiveness.

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Critics Reviews

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Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Sep 12, 2017
C-
But I should say, if you take out the part about the dumb premise, the acting is quite good--it almost makes you forget you're watching the big screen version of the tv show "Quantum Leap." Go to Full Review David Fear Time Out Nov 18, 2011
2/5
That the actors can pull off such Oprah-friendly, sci-fi-inflected sap and keep straight faces is the most fantastic thing about this loopy love story. Go to Full Review Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald Nov 5, 2009
3/5
While the script could have done more to exploit Bana's sense of humour, it does profit from his directness. There are no false heroics. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 26, 2020
2.5/4.0
It's far too breezy to be taken seriously and way too creepy to ever allow an audience to surrender to the romance. Go to Full Review Kevin Carr 7M Pictures Jul 21, 2012
3/5
The Time Traveler's Wife is a chick flick all around, and fans of the chick flick genre are going to eat this movie up. Go to Full Review Dave White Movies.com Apr 4, 2011
2/5
The movie also introduces the concept of time-traveling fetuses, yet we're never treated to this in any visual way. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Chase B @endzeitlor Jul 20, 2026 Pretty solid and had a good time See more William C @WildBill78 Jul 2, 2026 Romantic and timeless. One of my favorites. See more Roxana I. @RT69216026 Apr 9, 2026 Rachel McAdams it’s a great actress, despite the creepy story honestly it’s a great film and I like the script, as a big fan of hers this is one of her good movies, very experimental and honestly I never knew what to expect so it keeps you entertained See more Markus A @Excalibur866 Mar 27, 2026 Nope! Creepy AF! Kid falls in love with a time traveller guy 30 years older than her who comes back in the future and nails her?!?!?!?! All kinds of uncomfortability here. What the actual were they thinking with this storyline. Not romantic - confusing, creepy and awkward. See more CadeandKit R @CadeandKit Dec 3, 2025 The film weaves together Henry’s traumatic childhood, the loss of his mother, and how he grows up learning survival skills because every jump leaves him stranded, naked, and in danger. Cade and Kit highlight how the story makes time travel feel intimate, not cosmic. Would you want to know the date of your own death? Cade says absolutely not...it would pressure every moment. Kit says yes, she’d use that knowledge to be more present and intentional. The movie closes on Henry’s death and the later moment where a younger version of him appears to Clare and Alba one last time, tying the story together with a soft emotional release rather than a sci-fi twist. See more Nicholas t @nicktalbert2025 Sep 24, 2025 Just romance bad and farted See more Read all reviews
The Time Traveler's Wife

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Schwentke

Director

Rachel McAdams

Clare

Eric Bana

Henry

Arliss Howard

Richard DeTamble

Ron Livingston

Gomez

Stephen Tobolowsky

Dr. Kendrick

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The Time Traveler's Wife

Director Robert Schwentke on the set of "The Time Traveler's Wife." (L-R) Rachel McAdams as Clare and Ron Livingston as Gomez in "The Time Traveler's Wife." (L-R) Rachel McAdams as Clare and Eric Bana as Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife." Eric Bana as Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife." (L-R) Eric Bana as Henry and Rachel McAdams as Clare in "The Time Traveler's Wife." (L-R) Rachel McAdams as Clare and Eric Bana as Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife." (L-R) Rachel McAdams as Clare and Eric Bana as Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife." Rachel McAdams as Clare in "The Time Traveler's Wife." Rachel McAdams as Clare in "The Time Traveler's Wife." (L-R) Rachel McAdams as Clare and Eric Bana as Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Chicago librarian Henry De Tamble (Eric Bana) suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes him to drift uncontrollably back and forth through time. On one of his sojourns, he meets the love of his life, Clare (Rachel McAdams), and they marry. But the problems and complexities of any relationship are multiplied by Henry's inability to remain in one time and place, so that he and his beloved are continually out of sync.
Director
Robert Schwentke
Producer
Nick Wechsler, Dede Gardner
Screenwriter
Bruce Joel Rubin
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Plan B Entertainment, Nick Wechsler
Rating
PG-13 (Nudity|Brief Disturbing Images|Sexuality|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Romance, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 2, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$63.4M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
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