Rachel McAdams in a red dress, holding onto a man and laughing in the rain. Looks like a rom-com, right? It’s not. About Time does deal with love, but also with family, and growing up, and growing old, and getting second chances, and accepting what cannot be changed.
Even though the two films have very different tones, About Time reminded me of This Is 40, because both stories revolve around the beauty and humor that can be found in living an ordinary life. That theme has become increasingly important to me over the years, both for myself and for my storytelling.
There are so many great little moments in About Time. These were my favorites:
- Pretty much every scene between Tim (the protagonist, played by Domhnall Gleeson) and his father (played by Bill Nighy). But especially when they’re playing table tennis and pretending it’s the Olympics.
- When Mary (McAdams) offers to take off one item of clothing for every decision that Tim makes about a big event they’re planning. It’s sweet and sexy and real — a side of passion that is woefully under-represented by Hollywood.
- When Tim wants to solve his sister’s problems, and Mary says, “If it’s going to be fixed, I think she probably has to do it herself.” This is a deeply difficult lesson to learn, when you love someone. When you can see the smarter path for them to take, but you can’t make them take it. It’s something that I’ve been struggling with a lot recently.
Even though the movie is about a guy who uses time travel to correct his mistakes, in the end, About Time reminds us that part of what makes life so precious is that we can’t get any do-overs. There’s just the once. Whether you choose right or wrong, you have to move on. That’s how you learn and grow. And hopefully that’s how you come to appreciate and make the most out of every day. Go with time, not against it. That’s the real path to happiness.