Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- earnest
- romantic
- romantic evening
- melancholy movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the central performances sincere and appealing but judged the contrived, illogical time-travel narrative ineffective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry and Clare encounter one another at different ages and stages, so their love develops out of sequence.
Henry's involuntary disappearances continually disrupt his marriage and Clare's expectations.
Henry returns with increasing knowledge of future events, while Clare understands parts of their shared history before he does.
The relationship begins in a Chicago library and remains grounded in the city's domestic and urban spaces.
Films like The Time Traveler's Wife, and why
The Lake House
shared time-bending romance, emotional melancholy, and relationship-centered fantasy
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
shared nonlinear romantic connection, memory disruption, and bittersweet emotional drama
About Time
shared impossible romance, speculative premise, and tragic love themes
Ghost
shared melodramatic romance, supernatural separation, and enduring devotion
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Schwentke
- Release Date
- 2009-08-14
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (2797)
Cast
- Eric Bana
- Rachel McAdams
- Arliss Howard
- Ron Livingston
- Stephen Tobolowsky
- Michelle Nolden
- Jane McLean
- Hailey McCann
- Tatum McCann
- Brooklynn Proulx
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Time Traveler's Wife about?
- An involuntary time traveler and the woman who knows their shared future struggle to sustain a marriage across years they cannot experience together.
- What is The Time Traveler's Wife like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Time Traveler's Wife as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Time Traveler's Wife violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Time Traveler's Wife.
- What did critics think of The Time Traveler's Wife?
- Critics broadly found the central performances sincere and appealing but judged the contrived, illogical time-travel narrative ineffective.
- Which films are like The Time Traveler's Wife?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lake House, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, About Time, and Ghost.
- How long is The Time Traveler's Wife?
- The Time Traveler's Wife runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Time Traveler's Wife?
- In United States, The Time Traveler's Wife streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
