Timer (film)
| TiMER | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Jac Schaeffer |
| Produced by |
Jennifer Glynn Rikki Jarrett Jac Schaeffer |
| Written by | Jac Schaeffer |
| Starring |
Emma Caulfield Michelle Borth John Patrick Amedori Desmond Harrington JoBeth Williams Kali Rocha |
| Music by | Andrew Kaiser |
| Cinematography | Harris Charalambous |
| Editing by | Peter Samet |
| Studio | Truckbeef |
| Distributed by |
Present Pictures Capewatch Pictures |
| Release dates |
|
| Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
TiMER is a 2009 science-fiction romantic comedy film by Jac Schaeffer about a device that counts down to the moment one meets his or her soulmate.
Plot
TiMER is a corporation specializing in a unique matchmaking device. For a nominal monthly fee, the company can equip anyone with a countdown timer that counts down to the point that the customer is brought into contact with his or her soulmate. The night before meeting a soulmate, the TiMER reaches zero, and will begin to beep when the soulmates make eye contact the following day. After more than fifteen years of operation, the company has a 98% approval rating.
Oona (Emma Caulfield), an LA orthodontist, has a blank timer, meaning her soulmate has not been equipped with one. In an attempt to search for her soulmate, Oona brings her latest timerless boyfriend to get a timer installed, but the timers don’t match and they part ways.
Oona begins to express doubt in the effectiveness of the TiMER due to the influence of her roommate and stepsister, Steph, who, according to her TiMER, will not meet her soulmate until she is 43. Steph spends her time working as a receptionist at a retirement home by day and as a bartender by night where she hooks up with men whose timers are about to expire and are looking for a last random encounter before they meet their soulmate.
With Steph’s encouragement, Oona gravitates toward Mikey (John Patrick Amedori), a young grocery store clerk who encourages her to live in the present rather than stress about the future. Mikey’s TiMER only has a few months left before he'll meet his soulmate, making Oona cautious. Meanwhile, Steph meets Dan at the retirement home, a newcomer to LA who is there to see his grandfather. Steph invites Dan to her bar with the intention of introducing him to Oona, but when she doesn't show up because she's with Mickey, the two talk and become friends. Steph confesses that she works at a retirement home because no one there has a TiMER, and Dan, a widower, doesn't have a TiMER, because he feels that he already met his soulmate and doesn’t want to cheapen his marriage. Dan and Steph become obviously attracted to each other.
Meanwhile, Oona discovers that Mikey's TiMER was a fake and they have a fight, however when Oona realizes she was more herself with him because of the fake TiMER, they reconcile. With Oona's 30th birthday approaching, she begins to feel pressure from her mother to find her one. Both Steph and Oona decide to have their TiMERs removed claiming that they are moving on and the results no longer matter.
Steph has hers removed and is visibly relieved. During Oona's turn, she is told that the TiMER is a one-shot only option, meaning if she changes her mind later she will not be able to get another one. She decides to go through with it, but just as it is about to be removed, her countdown finally starts (meaning her soulmate has finally gotten a TiMER), and says that she will meet her soulmate tomorrow.
Steph encourages her to just remove it anyway, but a conflicted Oona decides to keep it on. An angry Steph leaves Oona to think it over.
The next day, it is Oona and Steph's birthday, and their parents throw them a surprise party, inviting Mikey and Dan. Steph and Oona, still fighting, arrive separately. Oona seeks out Steph, who is talking with Dan. As she makes eye contact with Dan, her TiMER goes off, and Dan reveals to Steph he decided to get one under her influence because he no longer wanted to be alone. Mikey runs off before Oona can talk to him, and Oona finds Steph and Dan arguing. The sisters fight, and Oona leaves the party, asking Steph to cool off for a few days so they can really talk about everything that’s happened.
The day after the party, Oona goes over to Mikey's, telling him she had her TiMER removed and that she doesn’t care about the results. Mikey is grateful for the gesture, but insists that the results matter and they say goodbye. The next morning Steph returns home and reconciles with Oona. Oona goes for a run at the track later than she usually does, and runs into Dan practicing with his relay team, learning they both frequently run on the track, only at different times. They part with the promise of meeting again, romance clearly blossoming between the two of them.
Cast
- Emma Caulfield as Oona O'Leary
- Michelle Borth as Steph DePaul
- John Patrick Amedori as Mikey Evers
- Desmond Harrington as Dan the Man
- JoBeth Williams as Marion DePaul
- Kali Rocha as Matchmaker Patty
Reception
The film received a 63% rating at Rotten Tomatoes from the critics based on 12 reviews, and an audience score of 64% based on 2,720 reviews.[1]
References
- ↑ "Rotten Tomatoes". Flixster. Retrieved 8 November 2012.