It’s About Time to Watch “About Time” (Missed Movies)

Domhnall Gleeson There are a number of reasons to give the movie About Time (2013) a chance, despite its somewhat generic title. The film is written and directed by Richard Curtis, who wrote Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Notting Hill (1999), and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). While not everyone loves romantic comedies, About Time throws in a twist. In line with a trend previously examined on Chimesfreedom, the film incorporates a science fiction element where the science fiction element, with little or no special effects, is a mere co-star to help explore some interesting aspects of the human condition.

Near the start of the film, a father, played by the wonderful Bill Nighy, tells his 21-year-old son Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson that the men in the family have an unexplained ability to travel back in time in their lives to change their own past. Before viewers can get too excited about the time-travel concept, though, the dad explains that it is limited to the person’s life, so they cannot go back and kill Hitler, etc. With that limitation in mind and other “rules” we later discover, the rest of the film follows Tim trying to live a good life with his unusual ability to help his family and friends, including the woman with whom he falls in love, Mary, played by Rachel McAdams. As a metaphor for real life, Tim uses his powers much as the way we use our own power to live in the present.

I will not ruin the movie by delving further into the plot (and if you are sure you are going to see the movie, skip the plot-revealing trailer below). But there are additional reasons to see the movie besides the clever writing and the interesting concept, which never comes close to overwhelming the real emotions of the characters. One reason the movie works is the engaging acting by Domhnall Gleeson. His occasional narration will remind viewers of similar narration by Hugh Grant in films like Love Actually and About a Boy (2002), with comparable phrasing and heartfelt insight. But, aside from the Hugh Grant similarities, Gleeson brings much more, adding some goofy humor from a man trying to figure out life. Gleeson, who lacks Grant’s leading-man looks, brings an everyman quality to the role. He interacts well with McAdams, but it may be his work with Nighy as his dad that provides the real heart of the movie. The movie features a fine supporting cast of other secondary characters that are well developed too.

Because of the sweetness of the film is connected to a supernatural element, one is tempted to say the movie is a combination of Love Actually and Groundhog Day (1993). The comparison may raise expectations too much, but you get the idea. Even if About Time does not live up to those movies on your first viewing, it is one that has a chance to grow in popularity with repeated viewings once it starts running on cable TV. After watching the movie for the first time on DVD, I immediately watched it again, which is something I rarely do. And I continued thinking about the movie for several days, a nice respite from the majority of films that vanish from thought ten minutes after they end.

In addition to the engaging characters, the concept of the film makes it re-watchable, as a viewer might analyze the logic of the film’s time-travel concept. Because of the number of questions that are raised by time travel that cannot be completely sorted out in a movie, I could not help thinking that About Time would make an interesting television series.

There were other questions that a TV series might explore more. For example, Tim is a lawyer in the movie. While the movie does not tell us much about his work, someone does make a comment implying Tim has won all of his cases. That off-hand comment makes the viewer wonder if Tim used his time travels in the workplace, which would raise a number of ethical and moral issues. But the movie does not have time to explore them. What the movie does with the time it has, though, is explore the meaning of time, making the viewers think about their own lives. And, even if About Time is not perfect, that experience is a lot more than one expects from most modern movies.

Conclusion? If you like romantic comedies and do not mind an unusual twist that may challenge you and make you think, then you should give About Time a chance. Maybe you will not like it, but then again, it might change your perspective on life.

Other Reviews Because Why Should You Trust Me?: About Time is a movie that seems destined to be loved by a lot of viewers while being scorned by a lot of critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives About Time a so-so rating of 69% from critics while the movie gets a respectable 82% audience rating. Stephanie Zacharek at The Village Voice hated the movie, calling it “mostly dreadful.” Meanwhile, Joel Arnold at NPR enjoyed the film, concluding that About Time “blends genre pleasures with efficient, thematically resonant storytelling and moreover gives its audience a call to action.” Finally, if you get the DVD, check out the deleted scene involving Abbey Road that Curtis was sad to leave out of the movie (no longer available on YouTube).

{Missed Movies is our continuing series on good films you might have missed because they did not receive the recognition they deserved when released.}

What did you think of About Time? Leave your two cents in the comments.


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    Charlie Brown Returns to the Big Screen

    Peanuts 3D

    It has been 34 years since Charlie Brown last appeared on movie theater screens, with 1980’s Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don’t Come Back!!). That drought will end next year on November 6, 2015, when Peanuts not only appears on the big screen but Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang will appear in 3D.

    Peanuts creator Charles Schulz passed away in 2000, but one of his sons, Craig Schulz, is a producer of the new film and Craig’s son is one of the screenwriters. Craig Schulz assures everyone that the new film will preserve and respect his father’s legacy.

    The plot is still a secret, but the movie will feature the beloved characters from the comic strip and TV specials, while revealing the famous “Little Red-Haired Girl.” The producers also promise that we will get to see Snoopy’s fantasy world in glorious 3D. Below is the teaser trailer for the upcoming film.

    Who is your favorite Peanuts character? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Interview with Richard Fulco, Author of “There Is No End to This Slope”

    Richard Fulco Richard Fulco’s new novel, There Is No End to This Slope, is out today. We are excited about the new book from Fulco, who is the founding editor of the wonderful online music magazine Riffraf. The novel, published by Wampus Multimedia, tells the story of John Lenza, a struggling writer haunted by the death of a woman who was his best friend.

    Before we get to your upcoming novel, tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

    I’m a New Yorker who has a vehement love/hate relationship with his hometown. I moved (not very far) to Montclair, New Jersey but occasionally dream of moving back home. I’ve been a singer, electrical apprentice, high school English teacher and playwright. Now, I’m a father of twins, founder/editor of Riffraf.net (a music blog) and my debut novel There Is No End to This Slope is being published by Wampus Multimedia.

    That’s a lot on your plate. What made you decide to write There Is No End to This Slope?

    I never consciously decided to write a novel. In 2005, I wrote a bunch of poems and a one-act play that were based on a full-length play I had in the New York Fringe Festival. My harrowing experience at the Fringe was enough to send me into hibernation where I embarked on the novel, which took seven years to write. After two years of teaching myself how to write a longer work, I committed to the project and slogged away. I’m still not sure that I know how to write a novel.

    I think many writers would agree with you about the writing process. Where did you come up with the idea for There Is No End to This Slope?

    Have you ever consciously made a poor decision, knowing full well that the outcome would be disastrous? I made so many of them from 2002-2007 that it had become a lifestyle.

    I think that is a part of life and growing. From the description of the book, the novel seems to address some important themes about death and loss. Have any other books influenced how you think about those issues?

    A partial list of works that influenced the writing of There is No End to This Slope includes: Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, Michael Thomas’ Man Gone Down, Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes, Charles Bukowski’s Post Office, J.M. Coetzee’s Waiting For the Barbarians, Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer, Samuel Bekett’s Waiting for Godot and Endgame, Harold Pinter’s Birthday Party, Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and The Castle, Richard Yates’ Revolutionary Road, Joshua Ferris’ Until We Came to the End, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the poetry of Robert Desnos, the songs of Lennon and McCartney, George Harrison, Jeff Tweedy, Bob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, Jagger and Richards, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder and Lou Reed.

    That’s a great list. And we have seen some of those artists discussed on your music blog at RiffRaf. Did your work on the blog influence There Is No End to This Slope in any way?

    I can’t escape music. It’s what sustains me. Well, a good book excites me too, but nothing gets my juices flowing like a great guitar riff or drum fill or lyric.

    The novel’s protagonist, John Lenza, played guitar for a short-lived band in high school. As an adult, his guitar sits in its case inside a closet, buried underneath boxes of his wife’s journals just gathering dust. Depressing, isn’t it?

    Yeah. Unfortunately, that happens a lot to musicians as they grow older and get overwhelmed with life’s other demands. I’m interested to see how it comes out in the novel. Where will we find the book when it comes out?

    Amazon and other fine stores.

    I look forward to reading it. Finally, I’m always interested in the writing process. While writing your novel, how did you balance other commitments? Did you follow a set schedule or work on the book as you found time?

    While I was teaching, I wrote mostly at night and on the weekends. When my twins were born, I had to be more flexible. I wrote in the morning, during their afternoon nap and when they went to bed.

    Thank you for your time Richard, and good luck with the novel. We look forward to reading it.

    Comedian David Brenner’s 1971 Debut on “The Tonight Show”

    Brenner Tonight Show
    Comedian David Brenner passed away on March 15, 2014 from cancer at the age of 78. For anyone who grew up watching Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, Brenner will always be associated with the show for his many appearances there.

    Brenner, who was born on February 4, 1936 in Philadelphia, first appeared on national TV on the show on January 8, 1971. You may watch his debut appearance in the video below, which is still funny after all these years. At the end, Johnny calls Brenner back out to shake his hand.

    Brenner made an impact in a number of ways. Before his successful career as a comedian, he was a writer, director, and producer of a large number of documentaries. In addition to his work on The Tonight Show and other shows, he wrote books and hosted four HBO specials. One of those HBO specials — Back with a Vengeance — ran in 2000, almost thirty years after his national TV debut. [2016 Update: Unfortunately, the video for the special is no longer available on YouTube.]

    After the 1971 first Tonight Show appearance, a reporter asked Brenner what he wanted to do with his career. He responded, “I want to make as many people laugh, as heartily as they can, for as long as I can.” Brenner’s website notes that Brenner’s last act will be to bring smiles to people’s faces. His tombstone will read: If this is supposed to be a joke — then I don’t get it!” RIP.

    What is your favorite David Brenner joke? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    My Lai and “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley”

    On March 16, 1968, U.S. troops in Vietnam killed approximately 300-500 unarmed civilians in what became known as the My Lai Massacre. But it would not be until November 1969 before the incident became public knowledge in the United States.

    Despite various charges being filed, only Second Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader in C Company, would be convicted of any crimes. After being found guilty of killing a number of people in the village, he was sentenced to life in prison, although he would serve three and a half years.

    When Calley’s trial began in late 1970, I was a little kid, absorbing various pieces about the war in Vietnam, as they filtered through various lenses of my childhood. I did not understand much about My Lai, but it became more prominent in my consciousness when after a trip to a local five-and-dime store, I picked up what looked like an interesting 45 RPM record called “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley.”

    “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley”

    I did not know anything about the record, so I suppose I selected it because the title looked interesting.  I thought it might be one of those funny records, popular at the time, that featured questions with humorous responses using song clips.  So, with nothing else I wanted to buy that week with my allowance, I took “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley” home.

    When I played it on my small record player, I became mesmerized by the song with the recognizable music of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” I played it over and over again.

    There were other songs about Calley and My Lai at the time.  But I only remember “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley,” written by Julian Wilson and James M. Smith.  At least three different artists recorded the song. The song was eventually covered by John Deere and Jones Bros. & Log Cabin Boys.  At one point, Tex Ritter covered the song but then his company decided it was too controversial to release.

    But the version I bought was the original by Terry Nelson and “C” Company.  The recording featured Alabama disc jockey Terry Nelson Skinner, who would later write the Air Supply hit “Even the Nights are Better.” Studio musicians provided the music. The group sold over one million copies of the single, and it peaked at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1971.

    The flip side to “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley” was another song about the horrors of being a soldier in the war called “Routine Patrol.”  I repeatedly listened to that song too, although it was more scary, documenting men killed on a “routine patrol,” counting down like “Ten Little Indians.”

    The Real Story and Some Real Heroes

    As “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley” illustrates, many sided with Calley in debates about what happened at My Lai.  They claimed he was doing his duty in a land where one could not easily recognize the enemy.

    Because my childhood understanding of the story came from the song, that would be my image for awhile. But as much as I liked the record, something always seemed off to me about the tale. Growing up as a kid during that time, we knew that Vietnam was complicated and an awful mess, whichever side you were on.

    My Lai
    Hugh Thompson Jr.

    Calley rarely spoke about the My Lai massacre. In 2009, though, he apologized for his part in the killings, although he continued to assert that he was following orders on that day.

    Unfortunately, because I learned about My Lai from the song, I only knew the name of Calley. I did not know the names of those innocent people who were killed.

    And it would be decades before I would learn that there were real heroes that day, including helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson, Jr. and his crew Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta. The three men were flying in the area when they saw the massacre taking place. Backed by Colburn and Andreotta, Thompson intervened at the risk of his own safety to stop the slaughter and save the lives of many civilians. After people learned about what happened at My Lai, some Americans attacked Thompson instead of recognizing him as a hero.

    It is a shame that it took so long before I learned about Thompson, Colburn, and Andreotta. Someone should have written a song about them.

    Photo of Hugh Thompson, Jr. via public domain.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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