History Film / AboutTime

''About Time'' is a British romantic comedy science fiction film revolving around time travel. Written and directed by [[LoveActually Richard Curtis]], the film is based on his own screenplay and stars Creator/DomhnallGleeson, Creator/RachelMcAdams and Creator/BillNighy. The film was released in Britain and Ireland on September 3, 2013 and was released in the United States on November 1, 2013.

* GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel: Tim's dad explains that since it's MentalTimeTravel, Tim can't change events from before he was born, and names killing Hitler as an example.

* OutOfTimeOutOfMind: Averted. Tim is definitely changed by falling in love with Mary, and treats losing that as losing a central part of his life.

* PowerPerversionPotential: Tim doesn't seem to particularly revisit his sex scenes with Mary apart from the first. Though considering any one of those encounters could have lead to a child, alter the timeline and erase his current children, perhaps this is merely caution on his part. Tim also rejects the chance abuse his power to cheat on his girlfriend, despite knowing full well he can make it so it never happened.

** [[spoiler: At one point Tim travels back with his sister (who can't travel back in time on her own). When they return to the present ''her'' memory is affected (she suddenly knows she is in a different relationship in the altered timeline) but she also retains the knowlege they time travelled in the first place.]]

*** Probably not. They would likely recognize the other's saying "Excuse me a minute," and call them out on it.

* SecretKeeper: [[spoiler: Tim reveals his secret to his sister and actually takes her back time travelling with him. She only knows briefly however; due to other circumstances Tim ends up reverting this edit to the timeline.]]

* TrailersAlwaysLie: The trailer suggests that Tim and Mary's entire relationship is eradicated from the timeline, but actually it's only their first meeting.
** Furthermore, the trailer gives the impression that he erases their meeting by going back in time to prevent his father from dying in a car accident. In fact, it's his sister, not his father, who's involved in a (non-fatal) car accident, and it happens much later in the movie. [[spoiler:His father does eventually die, of lung cancer, but there's nothing he can do to prevent it.]]

* WackyMarriageProposal: Subverted. Mary thanks Tim for not staging one, and Tim agrees... and then goes outside to dismiss the one he actually ''did'' stage.

Not to be confused with 2011's ''Film/InTime'', also about time travel.

* HollywoodHomely: Rachel McAdams, who is stunning, is initially presented as being insecure about her appearance.

* Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Tim at first wanted to get with Charlotte, but she wasn't interested in him. A long time later, they run into each other again and this time Charlotte is interested, but Tim has already moved on with Mary.

* GenreSavvy: Fellow timetraveller Tim's dad is certainly savvy enough to silently catch that Tim has just come back from the future on a number of occasions.

* LadyInRed: Mary at her and Tim's wedding.

''About Time'' is a British romantic comedy science fiction film revolving around time travel. Written and directed by [[LoveActually Richard Curtis]], the film is based on his own screenplay and stars [[Film/HarryPotter Domhnall Gleeson]], Creator/RachelMcAdams and Creator/BillNighy. The film was released in Britain and Ireland on September 3, 2013 and was released in the United States on November 1, 2013.

* IllNeverTellYouWhatImTellingYou: Tim to Mary's parents: "Yeah, but no oral sex, I promise you."

* BreakTheCutie: Happens to Tim's sister due to her unhealthy relationship with Jimmy. She becomes TheAlcoholic which leads to a serious car accident.

* FallingInLoveMontage: At London Underground.

* LonelyPianoPiece: Plays swiftly after Tim realizes that he has lost Mary's phone number and it couldn't even be retrieved from the restaurant's register.

* ResetButton

* SaveScumming: Basically the premise of the movie.

* YourCheatingHeart: Subverted. Tim gets a chance to get with Charlotte, but instead rushes home to profess his love for Mary. Considering the consequence-free nature of time travel, this says [[WhatYouAreInTheDark a great deal about Tim's character]].

* DawsonCasting: Subverted and inverted; the actors look about the right age for their characters at the start of the film, but as a few years pass and they become young parents it becomes very clear that they're at least five years younger than their characters.
* FallingInLoveMontage: Montage at London Underground.
* GeekPhysiques

* NoAntagonist: The movie avoids the usual LoveTriangle plot. Instead it has Tim battle with his own decisions.

* WackyMarriageProposal: subverted. Mary thanks Tim for not staging one, and Tim agrees... and then goes outside to dismiss the one he actually ''did'' stage.
* YourCheatingHeart: subverted. Tim gets a chance to get with Charlotte, but instead rushes home to profess his love for Mary. Considering the consequence-free nature of time travel, this says [[WhatYouAreInTheDark a great deal about Tim's character]].

* FallingInLoveMontage.
* GeekPhysique

* {{Adorkable}}: Tim

''About Time'' is a British romantic comedy science fiction film revolving around time travel. Written and directed by [[LoveActually Richard Curtis]], the film is based on his own screenplay and stars [[Film/HarryPotter Domhnall Gleeson]], Creator/RachelMcadams and Creator/BillNighy. The film was released in Britain and Ireland on September 3, 2013 and was released in the United States on November 1, 2013.

''About Time'' is a British romantic comedy science fiction film revolving around time travel. Written and directed by [[LoveActually Richard Curtis]], the film is based on his own screenplay and stars [[Film/HarryPotter Domhnall Gleeson]], [[RachelMcadams Rachel McAdams]] and BillNighy. The film was released in Britain and Ireland on September 3, 2013 and was released in the United States on November 1, 2013.

* TimeTravelForFunAndProfit