I haven’t read “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” but I’m pretty sure my ex-roommate has, and I’m pretty sure she was near tears reading it one day… or she was telling me about how she kept crying reading it… or something like that. Point is, I’m pretty sure she liked it. And this other girl told me the same thing. And another one. And another.
It’s one of those books.
Now, because I grew up in a family with an abnormally strong mother and a sister, I’ve seen an assload of those kinds of movies. And when you’re subjected to chick flicks your entire life you develop a tolerance for them, one that eventually gives way to some sort of an affinity. When I’ve written for publication, I’ve also reviewed some of these things, and, critically speaking, I usually dislike them. Take, for instance, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.” Before this movie came out, I actually did research. I rented the first “Pants” movie. Found it somewhat amusing and harmless. Then I saw the second one. I think I called the movie “predictable.”
Yeah, well… That movie has been in rotation on HBO for the past month. I think I’ve watched it like four or five times. And it’s demographic is teenage girls. It might be predictable, but I’ll watch the crap out of it, apparently. Same thing with “The Devil Wears Prada.” Couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen that movie.
Other Movies Marketed to Women That I Enjoy More Than I Should
1. “Must Love Dogs”
2. “The Notebook”
3. “Notting Hill” (This movie is a cinematic classic though. Know this.)
4. “Love Actually”
5. Anything with Hugh Grant, actually, including “Two Weeks Notice”
6. “Becoming Jane”
7. “The Jane Austen Book Club” (I actually own this because it’s “structurally ambitious.”)
“The Time Traveler’s Wife” looks like more of the same. It’s got Rachel McAdams who could be the next Julia Roberts if all the cards fall right. She’s already the go-to girl in romantic comedies. And rightly so. I’ve never seen a bad performance from her, and she elevates movies she’s in. Problem is, most of the movies she’s in tend to be mediocre (“State of Play,” “Red Eye,” “The Notebook,” “Mean Girls”). “Wedding Crashers” is probably her best movie. That’s not saying much for girl with A-list potential. She needs some street cred.
“The Time Traveler’s Wife” will likely not get her that. But it doesn’t matter because this thing is a cash machine for New Line Cinema, which could use a big hit. Women are going to see this thing in droves, I think. I’ll venture a forecast: $25 million opening weekend with steady returns several weeks after. I’ll call $75 million total box office with maybe $10 million more worldwide. That sounds reasonable.
I don’t think I’ll have the stones to see this thing in theaters. But I’ll probably Netflix it at some point.
So gay.
Here’s the nice version of the trailer.
this book is sooo good and this trailer is sooo bad. they turned an actually cool bizarre book about a post-punk librarian into a lame chick drama with some terrible terrible rock song soundtrack. ugggghhhh.
If that’s the case, I wouldn’t judge the movie by the trailer. All that stuff could still be in there.
Other important things to note: The script was written by Bruce Joel Rubin, which means nothing to most people. However, he’s the dude who wrote “Ghost,” which is one of the most perfect scripts ever written.
And not much can be gleaned from the studio’s choice in director: Robert Schwentke. I reviewed “Flightplan,” which he directed in 2005. Pretty lame. But stylish.
Also, that song is from Lifehouse. It ain’t that bad.
I don’t know who Lifehouse is, but that song sucks and it’s not The Clash, Iggy Pop, the Violent Femmes or any of the other legit cool stuff from the book. The characters would NEVER listen to lifehouse, I guarantee it, but that’s just part of the problem, the rest is with the melodramatic tone in general, which is not to say that the book isn’t sad or romantic, but that it isn’t sappy.
the thing about the book, to go on a tiny rant, that makes it different from your other cited chick flicks, is that it shouldn’t be a chick flick at all. it is a book about a relationship, equally from male and female perspectives, laced with sci-fi/fantasy and pop culture, with an existential crisis about free will and the self giving the whole thing weight.
I’ve read this book 3 times and probably will not see this movie. Shoulda been Mark Ruffalo or Billy Crudup anyway.
How do you not know what Lifehouse is?
I’m just saying: It’s a trailer. Trailers are general and they’re designed to attract the largest possible audience, particularly with a movie like this.
I wouldn’t prejudge it. Also, a movie doesn’t have to stay faithful to a book to be a good movie.
If you like Mark Ruffalo, check out “Just Like Heaven.” It’s very generic. It’s like if they turned “Ghost” into a big studio romantic comedy. I panned it, but I tend to watch it when it comes on television, and Ruffalo is enjoyable in it.
“Also, a movie doesn’t have to stay faithful to a book to be a good movie.”
true, but if it’s a book I liked as much as this one, I doubt I’ll like a generic version.
also, I don’t know who lifehouse is because I am completely ignorant of radio rock music, which I’m sure we’ve probably talked about and I’ve been accused of pretentiousness. But really, I just don’t listen to it and I cannot tell the difference between matchbox 20, the googoo dolls, creed, let alone bands with only minor hits. no clue whatsoever. all sounds bascially the same to me.