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 |
| Edited by | Peter Samet |
Production company |
Truckbeef |
| Distributed by |
Present Pictures Capewatch Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Timer (stylized as TiMER) is a 2009 science-fiction romantic comedy film by Jac Schaeffer about a device that counts down to the moment one meets their soulmate.
Plot
TiMER is a corporation specializing in a matchmaking device. For a nominal monthly fee, the company can equip anyone with a timer that counts down to the point that the customer meets his or her soulmate. After fifteen years of operation, the company has a 98% approval rating.
Oona, a Los Angeles orthodontist, has a blank timer, meaning her soulmate is not equipped with one. Searching for her soulmate, Oona brings her latest timerless boyfriend to get a timer installed, but the timers do not match and they part ways.
Oona expresses 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 works as a receptionist at a retirement home by day and as a bartender by night. She has one-night stands 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, 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, making Oona cautious. Steph meets Dan, a newcomer to Los Angeles, and invites him to her bar intending to introduce him to Oona; when she does not show up because she is with Mikey, Steph and Dan become friends. Steph confesses that she works at a retirement home because no one there has a TiMER. Dan, a widower, does not have a TiMER because he feels he already met his soulmate and does not want to cheapen his marriage. Dan and Steph become attracted to each other.
Oona discovers that Mikey's TiMER was a fake and they argue, but when Oona realizes she was more herself with him because of the fake TiMER, they reconcile. With Oona's 30th birthday approaching, she feels pressure from her mother to find her soulmate. 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 removal is irreversible. She decides to go through with it, but her countdown abruptly starts, signifying that her soulmate has received a TiMER, and indicates that she will meet her soulmate the next day. Steph encourages her to remove it anyway, but a conflicted Oona decides to keep it. An angry Steph leaves Oona to think it over.
The next day 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 sees Dan her TiMER goes off, and Dan reveals that he purchased a TiMER 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 what has happened.
The day after the party, Oona visits Mikey, telling him she had her TiMER removed and that she does not care about the results. Mikey is grateful for the gesture, but insists that the results matter and they say goodbye. The next morning Steph 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 use the same track, but at different times. They part with the promise of meeting again.
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.