2009-12-07 The Time Traveller's Wife

Summer has finally started here in New Zealand. While it is still somewhat chilly in the mornings, at least nowadays it consistently warms up during the day. That's great because it also means that the temperatures inside are civilized again. The only problem that's still left (which has nothing to with New Zealand) is my hay fever.
Every time I leave the house I have to bring loads of tissue papers.

Yesterday we finally saw The Time Traveller's Wife. Which means that for once Kristine used more tissues than I. The movie was supposed to be out more than a year ago, but apparently they needed one more scene with Eric Bana and his long hair. Unfortunately, by the time they told him, he had already shaved it off for the Star Trek movie (he was the evil Romulan captain). Oh, and I guess we all have to thank Angelina Jolie for getting in the way of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston starring as Clare and Henry. It just wouldn't have been the same.

But now for the movie itself.

They left out a lot. We only get to see young Henry once, for example. And they kind of made it look like his mother's death is partly his fault. Ingrid is reduced to a lipstick. Gomez only has a few lines and the torch he carries for Clare has been removed entirely. Henry's coworkers don't get to know about his condition. There are no dance clubs. Almost no sex. And so forth.
But these are the things you would expect to be left out anyway, and what they did show was well chosen, well acted and quite close to the book. Not as literal as Watchmen, but by no means as free-spirited as Lawnmower Man, for example.
I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

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Delete it from your Delete file? Really? Is that what trash cans / recycle bins are called in New Zealand?