Its “About Time” You Give Thanks For Your Family
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought I might suggest a great film to remind you of the one thing in life that deserves the most thanks: family. The 2013 film “About Time” went relatively unnoticed among film critics and popular culture, despite costarring the very famous Rachel McAdams. Its lack of acknowledgment probably resulted from the other films released around the same date, which included “Frozen”, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Dallas Buyers Club”, all of which generated immense publicity. Although “About Time” didn’t produce the same hype as its contemporaries, I guarantee you it is a heartwarming film about the value of family in a happy life that is well worth your time.
The movie follows the story of Tim Lake, played by Domhnall Gleeson, as he discovers a huge magical secret about his family. One afternoon Tim’s father reveals to him that all the men in the Lake family have the ability to travel back in time. The only major constraint is that Tim can only go to times and places he has been before. Tim uses the gift to improve his love life and ultimately find his wife Mary, played by Rachel McAdams. Over the course of the film, Tim struggles as he realizes some unforeseen rules of time travel that dramatically alter his ability to facilitate the happiness of those around him.
After Tim grapples with the difficulties of adulthood and building a family with Mary, Tim’s father finally reveals the key to having a happy life with time travel. He instructs Tim to, “live every day again almost the exact same. The first time with all the tensions and worries that stop us noticing how sweet the world can be, but the second time noticing.”[1] Tim’s father gets at a very simple truth about life, which is that often times the little annoyances and difficulties of life mask its overarching beauty and sweetness. So, as many of you Hamiltonians return from school to see your families, I encourage you to forget all of the little stresses and burdens of life and school and instead just enjoy this time with your family by recognizing their sweetness.