About Time - Ending Explained

The major twist in "About Time" is that it evolves from a romantic comedy into a profound story about family, loss, and the appreciation of life, with the relationship between Tim and his father becoming the central focus. A key plot point reveals that Tim's father has terminal cancer, and has been using time travel to extend his life and spend more time with his family. Time travel cannot cure him.

A critical rule of time travel is revealed when Tim tries to alter his sister Kit Kat's past to prevent a bad relationship and a subsequent car crash. When he returns to the present, he discovers his daughter, Posy, has been replaced by a son. His father explains that if he travels back to a time before his children were conceived and changes anything, the specific child born may be different. This rule creates the film's central emotional dilemma: after his father's death, Mary expresses a desire for a third child. Tim realizes that once the new baby is conceived, he will no longer be able to travel back to see his deceased father, as doing so would predate the third child's conception and risk changing them.

In a deeply poignant climax, Tim decides to have the third child and visits his father one last time. They travel back together to a cherished memory from Tim's childhood for a final goodbye. Ultimately, Tim learns his father's secret to happiness—reliving each day twice—but takes it a step further. He stops time traveling altogether, choosing to live each day once, but with the full appreciation as if it were his second time through. The ending reinforces the film's message that the true gift is not the ability to change the past, but the ability to live fully in the present.

While the film is largely straightforward in its message, some alternative interpretations can be considered. One perspective is to view the time travel ability not as a literal, physical power, but as a metaphor for memory and reflection. In this reading, Tim's 'travels' to the past represent the human tendency to dwell on past mistakes and a desire to have done things differently. His eventual decision to stop 'traveling' signifies a mature acceptance of the past and a commitment to living in the present.

Another interpretation focuses on the potentially manipulative and ethically questionable aspects of Tim's actions. While the film portrays his use of time travel to win Mary's affection as romantic, it could also be seen as a form of coercion, as he is essentially engineering a relationship based on his ability to perfect every interaction. This reading offers a darker take on the protagonist's journey and raises questions about consent and free will within the film's narrative.