The 5 Best: Time Travel Films

Time travel. Time warp. Time shift. Whether we are dealing with flying DeLoreans, naked cyborgs, or simply a cranky weatherman waking up on the same day over and over again, I love stories that play with time. Time travel -- or whatever you may call it --  has many rules but clearly what makes this genre click for me is that every action results in consequences whether in a separate plane of existence or your very own. It's the paradox of time travel that makes it so special. It's not necessarily the time "traveling" that makes my brain explode with delight, but the manipulation of time. This field is wide open, but that's only because I don't limit the genre to science-fiction. I have a lot of favorites and many of them almost made the top 5.

First off, Audrey Niffenegger wrote a remarkable novel called The Time Traveler's Wife in 2004. It's the story of a librarian with a gene that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. It's one of my favorite novels of the last decade, but the 2010 film version unfortunately doesn't quite do it justice. I still loved it, though - the scene where Eric Bana sees his kid for the first time always gives me chills. It's a beautiful, brain busting story, well worth experiencing on the page and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the screen.

Groundhog Day is a cult classic, the story of a jaded, cynical man who relives the same day over and over again. No one plays jaded and cynical better than Bill Murray. Some may argue that Groundhog Day doesn't fit in this time travel genre, but I say it does. Though the film is not very explicit about how it's done, wouldn't you say he is traveling through some kind of time portal during his sleep? I thought so!

Another romantic comedy that is similarly more of a fantasy than actual sci-fi is Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married, in which Kathleen Turner faints at her high school reunion and wakes up twenty five years earlier during her senior year. She sees this as a chance to rewrite her past and make better choices that will affect her future. But can she avoid making the same mistakes? Can the future really be rewritten? The ultimate time travel questions! What an infectiously sweet film.

Veering into sci-fi territory, I rather loved Peter Hyams cheeky thriller Timecop, in which Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a cop who travels back in time to prevent a corrupt politician from becoming President. Great early 90's action with Van Damme in his prime.

Speaking of European musclemen, you cannot go wrong with Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cyborg sent from the future to kill Kyle Reese in The Terminator. He's an unstoppable force of destruction in James Cameron's innovative action blockbuster. The fantastic, groundbreaking sequel goes even further, reversing the role for Schwarzenegger, who stops at nothing to protect Reese's son, John Connor. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is arguably one of the best films mentioned in this post, but it's more of an action thriller than a "time travel" movie. Even though there are elements of time manipulation in this series, I just don't think of the Terminator films as leaders in this genre, despite being so damned good. Well, except for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. That one doesn't belong on any "5 Best" list.

Frequency, one of my favorite films of 2000, almost made the cut. It probably would have made number 6 if I broke a few rules. A father and son connect via radio 30 years apart and the son uses the opportunity to warn dad of his impending death. The crisis is averted but sets forth another series of tragic events. This is what I love about time travel films - cause and effect. Change the past and screw up the future. It's beautifully done.

Though on a lesser scale, I still can't forget to mention these solid efforts: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (Bogus Journey was, well, bogus), the riotously funny Hot Tub Time Machine, the quirky Time Bandits, the surprisingly good The Lake House, Denzel Washington's action-packed Deja Vu and the corny 80's cult classic, My Science Project. Those are all good films, especially if you're a fan of the genre.

But for time travel enthusiasts such as myself, below are the five best.

The Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

The flux capacitor. 88 MPH. 1.21 Gigawatts. A flying DeLorean. These words are synonymous to the indisputable champions of time travel films. This trilogy contains some of my favorite movie moments of all time. Most people would leave out Parts 2 or 3 but I embraced them all almost equally. In the first, and arguably best, of the three, Marty McFly travels back to 1955 and works to correct a hiccup in his lifeline caused by his own untimely arrival. This is actually the closest to a perfect movie I have seen in my lifetime. Everything works here. This commingling of science-fiction and comedy is as harmonious and delicate as anything to come out of this genre, let alone any genre. Part 2 plays it more broadly, much to the dismay of critics and fans, but I totally dug it. It was silly and convoluted and makes absolutely no apologies for it. In fact, each entry has its own tone and I respect Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale for setting out to make three very different stories that are connected by these lovable characters. Part 3 is fabulously entertaining, especially the first half hour which features McFly back in 1955 alongside the other 1985 version of McFly. Brilliant! These movies make my brain swell with utter delight.

Donnie Darko (2001)
I knew very little about Donnie Darko when I first saw it and I'm glad. Everything about this intoxicating drama was fresh and brand new. What kind of movie is this? It's the story of a disaffected teen (a magnificent star making turn by Jake Gyllenhaal) who miraculously escapes death only to embark on an odd friendship with a 6 foot tall man in a bunny suit named Frank. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days and for most of the film Donnie struggles to piece together the puzzle surrounding his near-death experience and impending doom. Donnie Darko plays with time so beautifully and with great complexity that the viewer is forced to see the film multiple times in order to comprehend its bigger picture. In addition to this sci-fi bent, the film is also a wonderful study about isolation and adolescent angst.

Happy Accidents (2000)
The antithesis of Donnie Darko, Happy Accidents is a genuine New York love story about an unlikely couple who fall in love. It just so happens that he's a time traveler from the year 2470. It's Annie Hall with a twist! Marisa Tomei is just utterly delightful as a neurotic woman who tries to fix the men she dates and she always fails. When Vincent D'Onofrio shows up and spills the beans about where he's from, she hangs on to him. Is he real or crazy? Brad Anderson directs this warm, sweetly funny and deeply satisfying dramedy that works on almost every level. That it features some nifty ideas on time travel is whipped cream atop of this decadent morsel of delight.

Source Code (2011)
Seems like Jake Gyllenhaal cannot get enough of time travel. Sorry, I mean time remembrance, as Source Code likes to refer to it. This is the most recent entry in the time jumping canon of greats, and it's not only one of the best films of 2011, but also one of the trippiest, most engaging action films I've seen in a long, long time. Gyllenhaal is a soldier who embarks on a top secret government-funded project where he is catapulted to a precise moment in time before a major crime occurs. Within this extremely brief window, he must uncover information about the killer and learn if he has other targets. Of course, he fails repeatedly but inches closer to discovering the truth in every jump. Can he prevent the crime from happening if he stops the killer? Writer/director Duncan Jones raises that question and provides a cadre of satisfying, mind-blowing ideas. Source Code moves at a frenetic, breathless pace without sacrificing humor and a surprising amount of depth and humility.

12 Monkeys (1995)
Terry Gilliam has made some oddball films in his day, and 12 Monkeys is actually one of his more accessible ones. That doesn't mean it's a simple, easygoing affair. Far from it! Bruce Willis (an actor I can never tire of) plays a convict from 2035 who volunteers to head back in time to 1996 to uncover information about a virus that inevitably wipes out 99% of the population. But alas, he ends up in 1990 instead (didn't McFly have the same problem? Damn those faulty flux capacitors!) and ends up being committed. Will he get out in time to save the future? It's not a simple film by any means, but it is Gilliam's most engaging film. It's all here -- the paradoxes of time travel, future consequences of past actions, and a tricky timeline in which millions of lives can be changed by a single action of course correction.

Quick Takes: Paul, Scream 4, Win Win, Meek's Cutoff

Paul (2011)

Dir. Greg Mottola

Put simply, Paul delighted the hell out of me. I was certainly not expecting the film to be this funny, warm and goofy. After the wildly successful comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are back and as endearing as ever. They are science fiction nerds who attend San Diego's Comic Con - their geek heaven - and embark on a road trip they will not soon forget. Seth Rogen voices the alien they run into, and Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Blythe Danner and Sigourney Weaver add class and humor to this entertaining little adventure. A wonderful time with a superb cast.

Scream 4 (2011)

Dir. Wes Craven

I admit it. I was a little stoked when I heard that Wes Craven was on board with writer Kevin Williamson for another sequel to the ailing Scream franchise. The surviving members of the previous films - Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell - were all back, too. Even after the disappointment that was Scream 3 (I barely remember a single damn thing about that film), I had relatively high hopes for Scream 4. I felt there was still juice left in the ol' Scream machine. Well, my hopes were somewhat dashed. It is definitely an improvement from the previous installment - there was plenty of humor throughout and I was pretty surprised by the killer's reveal. I do wish Scream 4 ended sooner, though. There is a scene in the kitchen (where the killer lies on the floor with the victims) that would have served as a terrific, edgy finale. But alas... the film took the safe, boring route and left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. I can't recommend it - it doesn't touch the original and its fantastic first sequel - but you can do much worse.

Win Win (2011)

Dir. Tom McCarthy

Writer/director Tom McCarthy is three for three. His latest dramedy, Win Win, starring Paul Giamatti, is his most accomplished film thus far. I have enjoyed The Station Agent and The Visitor tremendously but Win Win digs deeper. There isn't a trace of cynicism in McCarthy's films and this is refreshing. He has such affection for his characters, especially in Win Win. Giamatti is a high school wrestling coach struggling with life's basic pressures, and when a disaffected teen enters his life, things start to look up. Giamatti is supported by the delightful Amy Ryan as his wife, Bobby Cannavale (fantastic here) as his overeager best friend, Jeffrey Tambor as the assistant coach, and newcomer Alex Shaffer, who nails his scenes as a conflicted kid with a troubled past. My buddy Pete goes further into the film here, but we're in agreement: Win Win is a terrific achievement.

Meek's Cutoff (2011)

Dir. Kelly Reichardt

As a fan of Kelly Reichardt's previous film, Wendy and Lucy, I was greatly anticipating Meek's Cutoff, her western about a trio of families who embark on a dangerous journey across the midwest. This film didn't move me nearly as much as her earlier film, but I appreciated what Reichardt was trying to achieve. She nailed her themes of isolation and perseverance in Meek's Cutoff. We witness the mundane and arduous tasks of surviving such a difficult journey. Who knew lowering wagons down a steep hill would generate such suspense? There's also a magnificent scene in which Emily (Michelle Williams, in top form as usual) comes into contact with a native American and runs to warn the rest of her crew. Watching her methodically load a shotgun is one showcase of the film's extraordinary attention to detail. Meek's Cutoff is very slowly paced, perhaps too minimalist for most casual viewers. It's certainly a little too low key for my own tastes, but I admired what Reichardt has accomplished here.