Think again about the best New Year’s party you’ve ever been to — as memorable as it may have been, it probably wouldn’t be close to a place where you know you could travel back in time. For Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) in “About Time”, this is exactly what happens when at the age of 21 his father (Bill Nighy) informs him that the men of the family have this gift.
While the film covers many years of Tim’s life, the New Year party is especially important. Not only because he learns about this ability to travel back in time the next day, but many important events happen on the night of the party, some of which Tim is trying to correct or do again.
Whether it is to escape the embarrassment of knocking on a table or preventing his sister from meeting the wrong man, this is a night full of significance that shapes the rest of Tim’s life in the future. When he tries to help his sister, he learns an important lesson that certain events, even if they cause great pain, should be allowed to continue.
“About Time” is a film about the embrace of life, making it the perfect film to bring a new year as you reflect on everything that happened last year and what you hope will happen next year. You may not be able to go back and change things like Tim does, but there are always lessons to be learned, and this movie articulates it perfectly.
