Monday, November 25, 2024
The Present
It’s “Back to the Future” meets “Groundhog Day” when a young nonverbal boy, Taylor, tries to prevent his parents’ (Isla Fisher & Greg Kennear) impending separation. When Taylor fixes their broken inherited grandfather clock, he discovers that he can magically roll back time 12 hours. So he tries to manipulate his parents’ marital decision. Does anyone ever have any luck messing with the space/time continuum? Every change seems to produce another unexpected outcome, so he repeats the process over & over again with no success. Realizing he may need some extra help, he eventually enlists the aid of each of his older siblings, Emma & Max. However, things still don’t get any better & they fear the clock’s magic may be wearing out. As the clock ticks down, the kids must reconcile their desires to hold the family together with the realities of life. They may discover the most valuable moments may not be found in changing the past, but in embracing the present. This fantasy family friendly film is a goofy comedy of errors.
Alien gives it 2½ “beignets & snowflakes” stars out of 4.
