The Time Machine (2002) Parent Guide

We all have one—a moment in the past we wish we could change. But few of us have the capability to do so, or the foresight to see how our lives would be altered if it were possible.

For Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce), the power to rewrite recent history seems to lie within his grasp. Driven by a personal tragedy involving a friend (Sienna Guillory), the New York professor holes himself up in his lab despite the wishes of his motherly housekeeper (Phyllida Law). Working feverishly, he constructs a machine that will turn back the hands of time. While his friend, Dr. Philby (Mark Addy), attempts to coax him back into society, the avid inventor tightens the last gadget on his futuristic creation and prepares for the journey of a lifetime.

But when the plan fails, he heads into the future in search of an answer. Traveling from the 1890s, he makes brief stops in the 21st century before landing 800,000 years from his starting point. There he discovers two tribal civilizations evolved from a ruined culture. Living in underground caverns, the Morlocks are a hideous race of creatures that venture only briefly outside of their dark world. The surface-dwelling Eloi are a laid-back human-like people who live off the land and have no interest in their past, or hope for the future.

Taken in by Mara, the clan’s teacher (Samantha Mumba), and her brother Kalen (Omero Mumba), Hartdegen begins to uncover a dark secret that threatens the survival of both groups and makes him question the fate of the Earth.

This latest adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells novel differs in setting and storyline from the 1960 film version, but still questions mankind’s ability to successful navigate the future. Although it contains some intense and graphic violence between feuding factions, this film focuses more on the fallout of scientific discovery and the results of man pushing the limits of his curiosity.

While the ability to change the past is limited, The Time Machine lets teens and parents explore their capacity to influence the future, even without a glitzy mode of transportation.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.