Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Time Traveler's Wife

  • 2009
  • PG-13
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
162K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,107
514
Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
The Time Traveler's Wife Theatrical Trailer
Play trailer2:29
12 Videos
99+ Photos
Time TravelTragedyDramaFantasyRomanceSci-Fi

Henry DeTamble, a librarian, possesses a unique gene that lets him involuntarily travel through time. His wife, Claire Abshire, finds it difficult to cope with it.Henry DeTamble, a librarian, possesses a unique gene that lets him involuntarily travel through time. His wife, Claire Abshire, finds it difficult to cope with it.Henry DeTamble, a librarian, possesses a unique gene that lets him involuntarily travel through time. His wife, Claire Abshire, finds it difficult to cope with it.

  • Director
    • Robert Schwentke
  • Writers
    • Bruce Joel Rubin
    • Audrey Niffenegger
  • Stars
    • Eric Bana
    • Rachel McAdams
    • Ron Livingston
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    162K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,107
    514
    • Director
      • Robert Schwentke
    • Writers
      • Bruce Joel Rubin
      • Audrey Niffenegger
    • Stars
      • Eric Bana
      • Rachel McAdams
      • Ron Livingston
    • 322User reviews
    • 141Critic reviews
    • 47Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos12

    The Time Traveler's Wife
    Trailer 2:29
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    Clip 1:12
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    Clip 1:12
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    Clip 1:26
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    Clip 1:00
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    Clip 1:06
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    The Time Traveler's Wife: Will You Marry Me?
    Clip 1:26
    The Time Traveler's Wife: Will You Marry Me?

    Photos112

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 106
    View Poster

    Top cast68

    Edit
    Eric Bana
    Eric Bana
    • Henry
    Rachel McAdams
    Rachel McAdams
    • Clare
    Ron Livingston
    Ron Livingston
    • Gomez
    Michelle Nolden
    Michelle Nolden
    • Annette DeTamble
    Alex Ferris
    Alex Ferris
    • Henry at Six
    Arliss Howard
    Arliss Howard
    • Richard DeTamble
    Katherine Trowell
    Katherine Trowell
    • Hospital Receptionist
    Bart Bedford
    • Library Researcher
    Esther Jun
    • Waitress
    Matt Birman
    Matt Birman
    • Chicago Police #1
    Craig Snoyer
    • Chicago Police #2
    Carly Street
    • Librarian
    Romyen Tangsubutra
    • Thai Waiter
    Brooklynn Proulx
    Brooklynn Proulx
    • Clare at Six and Eight
    Jane McLean Guerra
    Jane McLean Guerra
    • Charisse
    • (as Jane McLean)
    Brian Bisson
    Brian Bisson
    • Mark Abshire
    Maggie Castle
    Maggie Castle
    • Alicia Abshire
    Fiona Reid
    Fiona Reid
    • Lucille Abshire
    • Director
      • Robert Schwentke
    • Writers
      • Bruce Joel Rubin
      • Audrey Niffenegger
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews322

    7.1162.4K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8tarotwitch0

    loved it

    I had read the book three times when it first came out, so I was excited when I got tickets to an advance screening. I was just hoping they didn't ruin the book. I know films can't be like the books, so I carefully did not re-read it.

    They did an awesome job with the film. They captured the story, the flavor, the essence of the book, even if they did have to leave some things out. I loved the girls playing Alba.

    There was laughing at the funny parts and some crying at the sad. My sister loved it. She had no intentions of reading it and only went because I had tickets. She was sniffly when we left and now has the book.

    Notice to guys who like blow em ups. This is a romantic chick flick! Though the one guy I had talked to in line was crying as we left. He did say he loved it.

    I would have given it a nine if some of the scenes hadn't been filmed in the dark like a lot of Hollywood.
    8TcH3rNo

    Terrific performances and chemistry from Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana keep the movie afloat

    The Time Traveler's Wife is a romantic drama directed by Robert Schwentke, adapted from Audrey Niffenegger's bestseller of the same name. Adapting a novel with complex elements and undertones to the silver screen is a daunting task and director Robert Schwentke struggled to compromise between satisfying readers of the novel and making the movie accessible to people unfamiliar with the book. Overall, the movie has some significant directing and screen writing flaws but does make for an unpretentious and above-average romantic tragedy thanks to its two compelling leads.

    Sypnosis: The Time Traveler's Wife is the time-defying love story of Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) and Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams). Henry is a librarian afflicted with a genetic disease that causes him to travel through time more or less randomly. Henry's random and unpredictable escapades are often dangerous, terrifying and sometimes life-threatening ordeals because he ends up buck-naked and starving in unknown places and times. For those reasons, Henry keeps himself in top physical shape and taught "himself" all type of survival skills such as pick-pocketing, street fighting, or picking locks. After a random while, he always goes back to his "present" but is largely unable to affect his future. At age 28, he meets 20-yr old Clare Abshire. He doesn't know her but she has known him since she was 6 and has been waiting for him all her life and will do so the rest of her life...

    The main weaknesses of the movie can be traced back to trying to fit the book into 107 minutes. Director Robert Schwentke and screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin appeared a bit over-matched and took the path of least resistance, oversimplifying the plot and characters. The book was a bit confusing at times because of its particular narrative structure and the movie inherits the same problem. Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin made some compromises to keep the movie from becoming excessively long or inaccessible to its PG-13 audience. The main events and characters of the book were translated to the big screen although non-essential characters such as Kimi or Ingrid were completely omitted and the ending was slightly altered (and I liked it). The supporting characters are a mere passing thoughts, the key relationship between Clare and Gomez is one-dimensional. Even the two main characters, Henry and Clare, are under-developed. Ideally, the direction of the movie should have been given to a director with better credentials, and the movie extended up to 140 minutes to develop the characters fully and take advantage of the terrific cast.

    Despite those shortcomings, The Time Traveler's Wife is one of those movies you can't help but like. It is at heart a simple star-crossed love story with a refreshing sci-fi twist that touches on universal themes such as fate/free will, true love, and loss. A story that focused on the depth of the characters' love, not its showiness. Their will to move forward and enjoy every minute they have with each other before Henry's impending fate. This meant more close-up shots and a deeper and more realistic exploration of what it means to be Henry and Clare. The movie succeeds in moving the audience thanks in big part to moving performances from the two leads, who surrendered themselves fully to the premise of the novel.

    The Time Traveler's Wife features the graceful Rachel McAdams as the title character. Most will have missed her terrific performance in the 2008 indie the Lucky Ones and this puts her back on the radar for mainstream audiences. Beside matching the description of Clare in the book, McAdams has an unusual ability to make her characters feel real against all odds. Overcoming an underwritten character, she carries the emotional weight of the movie and was luminous portraying Clare's spirit and unyielding love for Henry's despite being riddled with some terrible lines once again. Will someone give Rachel McAdams a meatier role for God's sake??? Eric Bana was a big surprise, exceeding my expectations and making for a very solid Henry. Although he does not fit the physical description of the book (Henry is more runner than football player) Bana's Henry was tormented, introverted, poignant, and more importantly, had considerable chemistry with his co-star. The only issue I had was that Henry was mostly a one-note character. The supporting cast was solid albeit given very little opportunity to be memorable. Gomez (Ron Livingstone) was a pivotal character in the book but merely a passing thought in the movie. Jane McLean as Charisse, Arliss Howard as Henry's father, Stephen Tobolowsky as Dr. Kendrick all did a fine job with the small parts they had.

    The cinematography has a beautiful stark and cold quality to it which reinforce the tragic nature of the movie. The movie was beautifully shot by Florian Ballhaus and is the strongest attribute of the movie behind its leads. The crafty camera-work using motion and placement selection gave a particular tone to his scenes and Schwentke used that to his advantage in the film, giving the movie a light touch of fantasy. He created a nice immersing atmosphere that really highlighted Clare and Henry's impending fate. The CGI effects of Henry's time traveling are unspectacular but first rate while the overused musical score was melancholic, adding to the tragic tone of the movie.

    Enjoy the Time Traveler's Wife for what it is: an endearing love story with an unusual sci-fi premise. It may not be exactly like the book, it may have been darker and heavier on the sci-fi, and it may have been so much more with better direction. Even so, the premise of the story, and the perfectly-cast leads make this movie well-worth the ride and will keep your imagination lingering long afterward.

    B+: Boasting terrific performances and chemistry from Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, the Time Traveler's Wife has some flaws but is a charming, endearing and bittersweet romantic drama nonetheless.

    http://anomalousmaterial.blogspot.com/
    7blanche-2

    romantic film from 2009

    Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star in "The Time Traveler's Wife," from 2009. Directed by Robert Schwentke and based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, it tells the story of Henry DeTamble.

    Henry (Eric Bana) works as a special collections librarian. He has an anomaly he was born with which allows him to travel in time. He never knows when or where he's going.

    When Clare Abshire meets him, she invites him to dinner -- she has been in love with him since she was six years old. He finds out that he visited her often when she was a child. They fall in love and marry.

    It turns out that being married to a time traveler isn't all it's cracked up to be. Henry always leaves unexpectedly and sometimes is gone for a while, and it can happen at any time.

    Good movie, with wonderful performances by both leads, who have good chemistry. Rachel McAdams to me is scarily like Jennifer Garner. She's lovely and sympathetic as Clare, and Bana, a fine actor, is very effective as Henry, whose visits to the future don't always make him comfortable.

    Depending on your mood, this bittersweet story can be a real tear- jerker. It got to me and I cried, I admit it.

    I think the tale says that we have to deal with what we're given, even if it's not always convenient. We are not always the masters of our abilities.
    7claudio_carvalho

    Delightful Love Story

    In Chicago, the special collections librarian Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) has a genetic anomaly that allows him to travel in time; however, he is not able to control the moment or the destiny of his voyages. When the stranger Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams) meets him in the library, she invites him to have dinner with her in his favorite restaurant Beau Thai where she confesses that she has been in love with him since she was six years old. Henry leans that he had visited her many times in the real state of her parents and he falls in love with her. Sooner they get married, but the life of Clare becomes troubled with the successive unexpected travels of her beloved husband.

    "The Time Traveler's Wife" is a delightful love story with an original romance of a time traveler that wins the heart of his wife when she was six years old and he was older. Therefore he does not know her in the present time. The chemistry between Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams is wonderful and makes their love absolutely believable. However, the girl Brooklynn Proulx steals the movie with a marvelous performance. My vote is seven.

    Title (Brazil): "Te Amarei Para Sempre" ("I Will Love You Forever")
    8nickos82

    Echoes of Momento & The Butterfly Effect but more touching!

    Well, I am shocked and surprised. I had written this movie off as a "chick flick" and was dragged to see this by my wife as it her was her choice this week. I am glad that I went. Throughout the whole film, I was kept entertained and wanting to see the next development. Personally, I enjoyed the combination of lead actor and actress.

    The concept of the film had echoes to that of Momento or The Butterfly Effect but equally different on its own merits.

    The combination of characters is touching and you can really relate to this heartbreaking story.

    I cried towards the ending of this film (its not a surprise, when a story gets me, I have to show emotion!)

    More like this

    The Time Traveler's Wife
    7.7
    The Time Traveler's Wife
    About Time
    7.8
    About Time
    The Vow
    6.8
    The Vow
    The Age of Adaline
    7.2
    The Age of Adaline
    The Lake House
    6.8
    The Lake House
    P.S. I Love You
    7.0
    P.S. I Love You
    The Notebook
    7.8
    The Notebook
    Life as We Know It
    6.5
    Life as We Know It
    Dear John
    6.3
    Dear John
    17 Again
    6.4
    17 Again
    Love, Rosie
    7.1
    Love, Rosie
    One Day
    7.0
    One Day

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After filming was done, Eric Bana started filming Star Trek (2009), which required him to shave his head. However, re-shoots for this movie were needed, so production was put on hold so Bana's hair could grow out. It took so long that the movie's release date was pushed back by nearly a year.
    • Goofs
      The Calendar page for February 1984 pasted in Clare's diary has 30 days.
    • Quotes

      Clare at Eight: Are you married?

      Henry DeTamble: Yes, I am.

      Clare at Eight: Is your wife a time traveler?

      Henry DeTamble: No. No, thank God.

      Clare at Eight: Do you love her?

      Henry DeTamble: Yes. Very much. What's wrong?

      Clare at Eight: Nothing. I was just hoping you're married to me.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Taking of Pelham 123/Imagine That/Moon (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Love Will Tear Us Apart
      Written by Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, and Bernard Sumner

      Performed by Broken Social Scene

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ23

    • How long is The Time Traveler's Wife?Powered by Alexa
    • Is "The Time Traveler's Wife" based on a book?
    • What is "The Time Traveler's Wife" about?
    • What song was played in the trailer?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 14, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • arabuloku.com
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Te amaré por siempre
    • Filming locations
      • Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada(Library in Chicago)
    • Production companies
      • New Line Cinema
      • Plan B Entertainment
      • Nick Wechsler Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $39,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $63,414,846
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $18,623,171
      • Aug 16, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $101,344,412
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) in Spain?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Production art
    List
    Staff Picks: What to Watch This Month
    See our picks
    Production art
    List
    Theatrical Releases You Can Watch at Home
    See the list
    Production art
    Photos
    LGBTQIA+ Icons and Allies
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.