Timeline (2003)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers (WGA):

Michael Crichton (novel)
Jeff Maguire (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

They had to travel into the past to save the future

Plot:

A group of archaeological students become trapped in the past when they go there to retrieve their professor. The group must survive in 14th century France long enough to be rescued.

Plot Keywords:

Team | Friends | Shot With Arrow | Deception | Village

Cast

Paul Walker	...	Chris Johnston
Frances O'Connor	...	Kate Ericson
Gerard Butler	...	Andre Marek
Billy Connolly	...	Professor E.A. Johnston
David Thewlis	...	Robert Doniger
Anna Friel	...	Lady Claire
Neal McDonough	...	Frank Gordon
Matt Craven	...	Steven Kramer
Ethan Embry	...	Josh Stern
Michael Sheen	...	Lord Oliver
Lambert Wilson	...	Lord Arnaut
Marton Csokas	...	Sir William De Kere / William Decker
Rossif Sutherland	...	François Dontelle
Steve Kahan	...	Baker
David La Haye	...	Arnaut's Deputy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences and brief language.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40033)

Filming Locations:

Harrington, Québec, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Frank Cappello wrote an uncredited draft of the script and his name appeared on a few of the original teaser posters and trailers along side credited writers George Nolfi and Jeff Maguire.

Goofs:

The film completely misrepresents the languages being spoken at the time. In 1357, when the film takes place, neither modern French nor modern English would have been spoken. The English would have been speaking Middle English (a language closer in pronunciation and vocabulary to Old English) and the French would have been speaking Occitan - a combination of Middle French and Latin. Certain members of both sides would have spoken Latin, especially the clergy. Michael Chricton details these languages in his book but the film ignores them.

Quotes:

Kate Ericson: There's one thing worse than dying here, and that's living here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fear of Clowns (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Just A Little Bad

Is this supposed to be like the book?

TimeLine the book is probably one of my most favourite books. I have read it countless times and have enjoyed it every single time. So I was very happy when I saw a preview a long while back that there was going to be a movie about the book.

I wish that when people decided to make a movie out of a book they would make the movie just like the book. Don't change the plot, don't change the characters or their relationships, just leave it intact. They never do. I have been disappointed every time a book that I enjoy has been brought to the screen. I really don't know why I keep getting excited.

Ok, I understand somewhat that you can't re-create everything from a book. It just wouldn't be feasible. But they changed entire genders of people, removed some more interesting moments, changed character relationships slightly, and totally bombed at all the stuff dealing with the ITC, time travel and the vileness of both bad guys.

If you have read the book and seen the movie, you know what I am talking about. Some of the more exciting parts of the book were just not in the movie, like the struggle between the crazed man at the chapel, the fight at the mill and the entire tournament.

I mean I was confused with the whole thing. One of Donnigers right hand men is supposed to be a woman, Chris is NOT the professors son (in the book he is father figure), the French guy that gets killed in the movie does not exist in the book, Marek is supposed to be fluent in all aspects of time period including the languages.

I could go on about all the differences between the book and the movie, but there is no point. I would have to use up an entire screen just to point them out. It was a interesting movie if you had NOT read the book. However, if you have read the book and enjoyed it, a lot of great stuff was left out or warped into something different. I would say that the movie is very loosely based on the book, VERY loosely.

Overall I say I was disappointed. I did enjoy Gerard Butler as Marek, Ethan Embry as David Stern and Paul Walker as Chris. The females leads (Frances O'Connor as Kate and Anna Friel as Lady Claire) could have been better. And I suppose Billy Connoly did an ok job as the professor, although I just didn't quite believe that he was a professor for some reason.

I think I'll go re-read the book.