La montre à remonter le temps

This is just simply a wonderfully done, quiet, well acted time travel tale. The overall plot is based on portions of a classic "Twilight Zone" episode, though this film stretches that earlier TV episode out, and takes it to a slightly different direction. Mark Harmon does a fine job as the time traveller, frustrated with the pace and direction of 21st century American life, and Mary McDonnell gives an excellent, understated, but very moving performance as the 1896 widow with whom he falls in love. Again, if you are at all interested in time travel films, and are not looking for one of those computer generated special-effects fests that seem to be produced so often nowadays, but just a quiet, evocative, time travel tale with interesting characters, see this film. It is terrific, and haunting!

I was a little skeptical at first because I usually enjoy watching a movie only if it's a comedy, but this was a two-thumbs-up, five-star movie in my opinion. I wasn't familiar with the main actors/actresses except for Bill Cobbs (he's played smaller roles in many movies I've seen) and Catherine Hicks (I occasionally watch "7th Heaven"), but it was a great film nonetheless. If you haven't seen it yet, I would urge you to do so.

Overall, a wonderful production I would definitely classify as a film that's great for the whole family.

It's kind of significant that this movie was made in 2000, as it seemed to be the swan song to the kind of TV movies that were once so prolific and so damn good. Makes me long for time travel!

This movie could be called a combination of the Willoughby episode of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan", a 1979 TV movie, back when they were at their best.

This time, it's Mark Harmon who, as Charles Lattimer, is a modern-day person with a longing for the past. Commuting by train to St. Louis, he finds himself transported (with some help from an antique watch) back to 1896, and a small town named Sommerville.

Soon, he finds himself falling for Laura Brown (Mary McDonnell), a widowed newspaper editor, and torn between her and Kristen (Catherine Hicks), his wife in the present, who - to quote an old cliche - just doesn't understand him.

As he makes up his mind where he really belongs, time - in both eras - moves along and his actions have consequences. But his heart knows what he truly wants!

If you're a hopeless romantic with a yen for bygone days, this is the movie for you!

I stayed up into the early hours of the morning to watch this last night and it was well worth it. Fine performances abound: Mark Harmon does a nice job and always looks good but I thought, not surprisingly, that Mary McDonnell stole the show. She was simply marvelous in the female lead, effectively portraying a quiet woman with enormous inner strength.

Beyond the acting I think this was the kind of film that hit a nerve with most people. The possibility of getting a second chance, as well as the idea of vacating the frenetic pace of our era for a simpler time is one many of us have have entertained.

I was hoping this movie would be available on VHS but it apparently is not. The next time I see it coming up I will be taping it.

The folks who've commented on this movie earlier have said it all, much better than I could. Mary McDonnell leads a fine cast, with Bill Cobbs outstanding as the Conductor who offers Charlie another chance at happiness in life. This film borrows some ideas from "Needful Things", and a healthy dose from the classic Twilight Zone episode "A Stop at Willoughby", stirs, blends well and produces an evocative masterpiece.

Great movie for a date - heck, you can always watch the end again in the morning, if you get distracted.