The review said that The Time Traveler's was a multi hanky affair but a film that you had to hand over your sense of incredulousness. I couldn't quite say if it was a two or three Kleenex number, as I had nothing but my shirt sleeve and crumpled cotton bedding around to wipe away my tears. I will say that the movie was close enough to the book to keep me entranced and wrenching enough to keep me glued to the screen, not only because is was a well told tale of doomed love, but because we have already lived the story.
The book was a mighty big deal in our lives. It was the biggest, baddest book in our Fall book group collection. We took that title and made it the gospel of our times, turned our Calcopo Forest to the Sea Book Discussion Group (party of two) into the must attend, had to be there, true come hell or high water kind of event not to be missed. As you used to like to say to me, Jane, "it was always my favorite time of the month".
When we chose that book back in December of '05 we had no idea that it was anywhere close to being optioned for a movie. I suppose I should be more thorough, do my researchy reference librarian best to find out when it was picked up, when key actors were chosen, when it went into pre-production, all that. All I know is that once I knew it was wrapped up I could barely wait to see it. Not that that excitement translated into movie tickets, no. It didn't mean that I ran down and bought a new copy on the day of it's release, or that I waited in line for it to show up at my local rental store.
No, in the end I was leery about watching it, damn near afraid to see what it might cause. It too much like having my own form of Pandora's Box in the house. After a week of sitting on the shelf downstairs it finally migrated upstair to my room. Seeing you yesterday put it back in action. Once I put it in the player I knew that I would be doing some time traveling, too. Would the experience be kind? Would it cause some sort of wrenching drama in my life the way that that book did when we read it oh so long ago?
All I know is that tonight that film played upstairs at the Futon Cinema and I was kind enough to let it weave it's magic. The book, along with assorted shared dishes at the China Chef, a cold winter night, The Snowman and assorted birding gifts, all wove into a special sort of flying carpet for us. Tonight I had no birdbaths on my bed, no crumpled Chinese menus, no sky hinting of snow to whisk me back in time. All I had, Jane, was that old familiar feeling, one that said to me that I am beyond happy for all the good times we shared. We did our own sort of time traveling way back when. Maybe that's why the book, and now this movie, are all so important. The story is all about love and the inevitability of death. Love while you can, the book said, love with all your heart and soul and sinew. Make this life count. We did. And so did the characters in tonight's screening of the The Time Traveler's Wife. It was grand, as were we.
Action!
Movie Review: Time Traveler's Wife:
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