Why a Chicago Librarian's Genetic Disorder Required Waiting for Nature and Hair Growth
In short: The 2009 adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's novel faced a mysterious release delay that left audiences wondering. The production was stalled not by creative disputes, but by the need for specific seasonal lighting and the inconvenient reality of Eric Bana's hair regrowth requirements for a different film role.
The Time Traveler's Wife, directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, follows Henry DeTamble, a librarian with a paranormal genetic condition. This disorder forces him to involuntarily travel through time, often arriving at his destination completely naked. To survive, Henry learns to pick locks and steal clothes, frequently visiting his future wife, Clare Abshire, at various points in her life.
The film's path to the screen was complex. Rights were optioned by Plan B Entertainment before the 2003 novel was even published. After several years of development and screenwriter changes, filming finally began in September 2007 in Toronto and Hamilton. Although originally slated for a fall 2008 release, the studio postponed the debut without an immediate explanation. Rachel McAdams later clarified that the delay was necessary to reshoot a meadow scene that required the season to match the original footage, alongside waiting for Bana to regrow his hair after his work on the 2009 film Star Trek.
Upon its eventual release on August 14, 2009, the film achieved commercial success, grossing $19.2 million during its opening weekend. However, critical reception was mixed. Review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 38% approval rating, with critics noting that the narrative's inherent contrivances and logic gaps hindered its effectiveness as a cinematic experience. Despite these critiques, the film remains a notable entry in the romantic science fiction genre, marking the final time New Line Cinema independently distributed a DVD release before being fully absorbed into Warner Bros. Pictures' home media operations in 2010.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Time Traveler's Wife (film)
- Also: Wikidata — The Time Traveler's Wife · CC0
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