Today, I completed both the womderfully uplifting novel and depressingly woeful film; The Time Traveler's Wife.Both had their points of excellence, only one had many, many drawbacks.
I simply fell in love with Henry just like all unrealistic male protagonists in literature. Henry was both beautifully flawed and perfect simultaneously. The Novel had Claire and Henry at odds surrounding his genetic disorder, and showed a seriously screwed up young adult. Claire was his life and purpose and when she changed his life it was magical. He was strong and tough enough to bring a thug close to death, but sensitive enough to recite poetry. He knew what to do and when to do it, and his monologue is so beautifully written.
Unlike the book, the film follows a linear time sequence. So the plot lost all of Henry's past and all the meadow scenes which completely negates the reason he appears back there for the err.. ending.
Their families are so watered down and they rush so fast into marriage that it becomes highly unrealistic. The time travel no longer has any emotional gravity as it doesn't effect anyone but Claire, which makes Henry selfish and moody and generally non-sexy.
This ignores the opening lines of "i'm from the future and this is hard to explain, but your mom just died and you got to digest that and a strange man freaking you out kid"... 10 points for saving expositional time but -200 internet dollars for taking to the original manuscript with a frozen chicken you've urinated on.
Such a shame for a such a well shot film.
As for the Novel, I'm waiting for Henry.
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