If you could take the most cherished moments of your life (both good and not-so-good) and cut them into puzzle pieces, put them into a bag, and pull them back out randomly, would they still hold the same meaning to you as they did when they were one big tapestry? Would you be able to find the perspective to appreciate them as they are stitched into the crazy quilt of your life? This is the uncertainty that is explored in The Time Traveler’s Wife starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana.

The novel from which this story is adapted was written by American novelist Audrey Niffenegger, and tells the story of a man who suffers from a genetic disorder that causes him to become untethered in time. Henry (Bana) is unable to control these chronological leaps, and must start from scratch each time he lands in a new place or circumstance.

Through fate, predestination or self-fulfilled prophecy, he meets and falls in love with Clare (McAdams), and the two careen through their lives ... sometimes together, sometimes not. What makes this film so enjoyable for me is the chemistry between these two. From the first moment of their on-screen meeting, it is clear that Clare adores Henry and that he in turn is drawn to her inexplicably!

Through much of the first two-thirds of The Time Traveler’s Wife, we are treated to a tender love story that speaks with a metaphorical voice. Henry is there one moment and gone the next. For him, it is time travel that calls him away, but for the rest of us, it’s work or play or any one of a hundred other things that keep us from the precious moments we should be spending with those who mean the most to us.

The plot becomes a bit darker when these two try to have a child. Henry’s disorder, it seems, can be passed on, and Clare loses baby after baby. These two sweethearts are divided on this issue. Clare wants a part of Henry that she can hold on to; Henry worries that the unborn traveler will harm his darling Clare!

The folks who have seen this movie seem to be in two camps. There are those who love The Time Traveler’s Wife and those who think it is just plain silly. I am of the former, and the reason is that I refuse to look into the clockworks of the film. To dissect the “science” behind the time travel or try to reconcile each and every bit of data tells me that the viewer simply does not understand the heart and soul of the story itself! This is a love story with an interesting twist that works on many different levels. To appreciate it, all you have to do is kick back and let yourself float free for a time!

— In addition to being a great movie reviewer, Michael O’Brien Sr. owns and operates a DeLand-based catering service, Michael’s Gourmet to Go. E-mail him at movieman@beacononlinenews.com.