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The Time Traveler's Wife

FILM · 2009 · USA

The Time Traveler's Wife

20 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026

  • The Time Traveler's Wife — production image

20 Interesting Facts About The Time Traveler's Wife

Interesting Facts (13)

  1. #001

    After filming wrapped, Eric Bana began work on Star Trek (2009), which required him to shave his head. Reshoots for The Time Traveler's Wife were then needed, and production was halted so Bana's hair could grow back. The delay was so long that the film's release date was pushed back by nearly a year.

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  2. #002

    Audrey Niffenegger, the author of the source novel, confirmed as of 2022 that she had still not seen the film adaptation of her work. In 2015, she said she thought she had not watched it for fear that it would conflict with how the story worked in her head.

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  3. #003

    The film's Brazilian distributor ran internet advertisements that mistakenly described it as "a film by Brad Pitt." Pitt is an executive producer, not the director.

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  4. #004

    When Henry is shot in the forest, you can faintly hear Alba shout "Dad! Dad!", meaning that like Henry, she is trying to save him. It is easily picked up by closed captions.

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  5. #005

    This was the last film distributed by New Line Home Entertainment before it was folded into Warner Bros.

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  6. #006

    It was sent to theaters under the code name "The Meadow."

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  7. #007

    Steven Spielberg, Gus Van Sant and David Fincher were considered to direct, but talks fell through.

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  8. #008

    Director Robert Schwentke was a fan of Broken Social Scene and chose them to cover "Love Will Tear Us Apart" for the soundtrack and to perform it in the wedding scene.

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  9. #009

    Stephen Tobolowsky's character's appearance was more of a homage to Groundhog Day (1993).

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  10. #010

    The band at the wedding dance is Broken Social Scene. The song they play is "Love Will Tear Us Apart," and one of the band members can be seen playing the guitar made famous by another time-travel film (Back to the Future). The guitarist is seen playing a cherry-red Gibson ES-345.

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  11. #011

    Rachel McAdams was attached to the film even before director Robert Schwentke signed on.

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  12. #012

    When Bruce Joel Rubin was offered the chance to adapt the screenplay, he accepted enthusiastically because he was a big fan of the novel.

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  13. #013

    The young Claire's red blanket is an old wool blanket from Eatons Trapper Point, sold in Canada, where most of the film's production took place.

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Production Story (2)

  1. #014

    Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt made headlines by buying the film rights to Audrey Niffenegger's novel before it was even published.

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  2. #015

    Jeremy Leven wrote the first iteration of the screenplay.

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Characters & Cast (4)

  1. #016

    This is one of four films in which Rachel McAdams plays the love interest of a time traveler. The others are About Time (2013), in which she plays the wife of Domhnall Gleeson's character; Midnight in Paris (2011), in which she plays the fiancée of Owen Wilson's character; and Doctor Strange (2016), in which she plays the title character's girlfriend. In none of the films does her character travel through time in any way.

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  2. #017

    The author's first choices were Adrien Brody for Henry and Lauren Ambrose for Clare.

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  3. #018

    Eva Green campaigned for the role of Clare.

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  4. #019

    Matt Lanter, Stanley Tucci and Cam Gigandet were considered for the role of Henry.

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Easter Eggs & References (1)

  1. #020

    In the final meadow scene, after Henry disappears, Alba bends down to pick up the brown moccasins she threw. This references the cover art of one edition of the book, which shows a young girl (visible only from mid-leg down) standing next to a pair of brown moccasins in a field.

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

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