About Time (2013)

About Time is a 2013 British romantic drama with a sci-fi twist, written and directed by Richard Curtis. On the surface, it’s a love story, but beneath the romance lies a moving exploration of family, mortality, and the value of everyday moments.

Detailed Summary

Tim’s Discovery of Time Travel

The story begins with Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), a socially awkward but kind young man. On his 21st birthday, his father (Bill Nighy) reveals a family secret: the men in their family can travel back in time to moments they’ve lived before. All they need to do is go into a dark place, clench their fists, and think of the time they want to return to.

First Experiments

Tim immediately tries out this ability, first using it for personal improvement, like fixing awkward moments. However, he soon realizes that time travel can’t solve everything, nor can it make someone fall in love with him if it wasn’t meant to be.

Meeting Mary

Tim eventually meets Mary (Rachel McAdams), a charming American living in London. Through a series of time-travel manipulations, he perfects his chance encounter with her until he wins her heart. These sequences are both sweet and slightly comical, as Tim carefully adjusts conversations and moments to make everything go right.

Love, Marriage, and Parenthood

Tim and Mary’s relationship deepens, leading to marriage and the birth of their children. Tim’s time-travel gift allows him to relive precious moments, from romantic evenings to his children’s early years. Yet, he also learns that changing the past after having kids can have unintended consequences, such as altering which child is born.

Family Ties and Difficult Choices

The heart of the film lies not just in Tim’s love story with Mary, but in his relationship with his father. When Tim learns his father is dying of cancer, he uses time travel to spend more precious moments with him. Their bond is portrayed with warmth, humor, and melancholy, offering some of the film’s most moving scenes.

Movie Ending

The ending of About Time shifts the focus from romantic love to the broader theme of appreciating life itself. After his father’s death, Tim continues to visit him in the past, savoring conversations and their shared game of table tennis. However, when Mary becomes pregnant with their third child, Tim realizes he must stop revisiting the past with his father. Once a new child is born, any change to the past risks rewriting which child exists, something Tim cannot bear to risk.

In one final, bittersweet act, Tim goes back to his childhood to relive a perfect day with his father. They walk along the beach, sharing laughter, knowing this will be the last time Tim can see him. After this, Tim chooses to stop excessively using time travel. Instead, he embraces living in the present moment fully, treating each day as though he has already gone back and chosen to appreciate it.

The final voiceover sums up the film’s message: you don’t need time travel to live a beautiful life—you just need to notice and cherish the everyday moments. The film closes with Tim joyfully living his simple but fulfilling life with Mary and their children.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, About Time does not have any post-credits scenes. Once the credits roll, the story is complete, leaving viewers with the film’s central message about treasuring ordinary moments.

Type of Movie

The film blends romance, drama, comedy, and fantasy, with time travel serving as a narrative device rather than a hard science-fiction element. It’s best described as a romantic dramedy with a philosophical heart.

Cast

• Domhnall Gleeson as Tim Lake
• Rachel McAdams as Mary
• Bill Nighy as James Lake (Tim’s father)
• Lydia Wilson as Kit Kat (Tim’s sister)
• Tom Hollander as Harry, Tim’s cynical playwright housemate
• Margot Robbie as Charlotte, Tim’s early crush

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Nick Laird-Clowes, featuring warm, melodic themes that highlight the film’s emotional core. The soundtrack also includes well-chosen songs like Ben Folds’ The Luckiest and The Waterboys’ How Long Will I Love You, both of which perfectly complement the romantic tone.

Filming Locations

• Cornwall, England – Many key scenes, including the Lake family home and the beautiful beach sequences, were filmed here. The idyllic seaside setting reflects the warmth and intimacy of Tim’s family life.
• London – The bustling city contrasts with the quiet beauty of Cornwall, highlighting Tim’s transition into adulthood and independence.

Awards and Nominations

About Time didn’t dominate major award shows, but it was warmly received by audiences and has since become something of a modern cult classic in the romance genre. It received nominations at smaller festivals for its screenplay and performances, particularly Bill Nighy’s heartfelt role.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Richard Curtis has admitted that the film was partly inspired by his own reflections on fatherhood and mortality.
• The wedding rain scene was filmed during actual heavy rainfall, which made it chaotic but authentic.
• Bill Nighy improvised several of his lines, adding warmth and humor that enriched his character.
• Rachel McAdams had already starred in another time-travel romance (The Time Traveler’s Wife), making her casting an ironic coincidence.

Inspirations and References

The film is an original screenplay by Richard Curtis but carries thematic echoes of his earlier works like Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral. It also nods to classic time-travel stories, though its emphasis is on emotional truth rather than scientific explanation.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

While no radically different ending exists, some deleted scenes expand on Tim’s relationship with his sister Kit Kat and Mary’s perspective. These were cut for pacing but appear on home releases.

Book Adaptations and Differences

About Time is not based on a book. It is an original story, though its style resembles Curtis’s other ensemble-driven romantic comedies.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Tim’s first time-travel attempt, where he relives New Year’s Eve.
• The rain-soaked wedding with Mary, filled with both chaos and joy.
• Tim’s emotional farewell trip with his father on the beach.
• Tim’s final realization to live each day as if he had already traveled back to enjoy it again.

Iconic Quotes

• Father: “We’re all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride.”
• Tim: “Live every day as if you’ve deliberately come back to this one day, to enjoy it.”
• Tim’s Father: “The truth is, I now don’t travel back at all. I just try to live every day as if I’ve deliberately come back to this one day.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The play written by Harry mirrors Tim’s own journey, emphasizing second chances.
• The recurring use of Cornwall beaches symbolizes both beginnings and farewells.
• The repeated motif of clocks and watches subtly reinforces the time travel theme.

Trivia

• Domhnall Gleeson and Bill Nighy’s chemistry was so natural that Curtis reduced the scripted dialogue in their scenes, letting them improvise.
• The film was Richard Curtis’s last as a director (he announced retirement after About Time).
• The Lake family home used in Cornwall has since become a tourist attraction for fans.

Why Watch?

Because it’s not just a love story—it’s a life story. About Time makes you laugh, cry, and reflect on the beauty of small, ordinary moments. It’s perfect for viewers who enjoy romantic films but want something deeper than clichés.

Director’s Other Movies

• Love Actually (2003)
• Notting Hill (1999)
• Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
• Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked, 2009)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
• The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)
• Her (2013)
• 500 Days of Summer (2009)
• La La Land (2016)