Time travel

We had just finished watching the classic film, The Time Machine (1960) with my two teenage grandsons on a Saturday night. That’s right. They haven’t been going out (at all). Everybody loved it, even though the graphic representations weren’t comparable to the 2002 version. It didn’t matter. Like any good story whether a book or on the big screen (or TV), it’s character development is what makes the story work. That secures the characters in the hearts of the reader/watcher. The structure of the novel/movie should grab the audience viscerally, engaging the heart. If it’s premise, in this case, time travel, intrigues and stands up to some logic, all the better and necessary. All elements should be tended to when penning the work. Roger Ebert gave the 2002 version 1.5 stars, need I say more. 1960's version did much better.

If done right, the story should have a reflection or more of alternative points of view. In the case of The Time Machine, subtle. As a child I didn’t worry about whether it was right that Wells wanted to change the future. But as an adult, it engrossed me. I’m going to ask my grandsons what they thought at breakfast today.