Timescape (1992 film)

Last updated
Grand Tour: Disaster in Time
Timescape FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by David Twohy
Screenplay byDavid Twohy
Based on"Vintage Season"
by Lawrence O'Donnell
(Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore)
Produced byJohn A. O'Connor
Starring Jeff Daniels
Ariana Richards
Marilyn Lightstone
CinematographyHarry Mathias
Edited byEd McNichol
Glenn Morgan
Music byGerald Gouriet
Production
companies
Channel Communications
Drury Lane Holdings
Wild Street Pictures
Distributed byAcademy Entertainment
Release date
  • May 9, 1992 (1992-05-09)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Timescape, [1] released on video as Grand Tour: Disaster in Time, is a 1992 American science fiction film directed by David Twohy and starring Jeff Daniels and Ariana Richards, with a cameo appearance by Robert Colbert, one of the co-stars of Irwin Allen's 1960s TV series The Time Tunnel . Twohy wrote the screenplay, which is loosely based on the 1946 novella "Vintage Season" by Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore (writing as Lawrence O'Donnell). It was released in 2023 on Blu-ray by Unearthed Films with the title The Grand Tour. [2]

Contents

Plot

The grieving widower Ben Wilson is renovating an old guest house on the outskirts of his hometown with his young daughter, Hillary. The local bus driver, Oscar, arrives with a group of peculiarly behaved and dressed tourists, who insist on staying at the remote guest house, instead of the town center's large hotel. When Ben aids one of the tourists, Quish, after a minor accident, he discovers that Quish's passport is inexplicably stamped with locations, dated decades apart, that correspond to famous disasters, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the crash of the Hindenburg , and the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Ben confronts Quish, who responds only by warning Ben to leave town. Meanwhile, Ben's vengeful father-in-law, Judge Caldwell, who blames Ben for his daughter's death, has Ben declared an unfit parent and takes custody of Hillary.

One of the tourists, Reeve, confirms Ben's suspicions about their true nature: they are time-travelers from the future who visit famous disasters from their past. She drugs and seduces Ben and leaves him unconscious. Oscar finds and revives him. As they attempt to confront the tourists at the guest house, a meteorite strike devastates the town. Ben finds Hillary alive at Caldwell's house, and they spend the night and help survivors while the tourists stroll through the devastation in detached fascination. The next day, Ben realizes that the tourists are still in town. He deduces that they are awaiting a second disaster, which will soon affect a local school, which is being used as a relief center. As he rushes there, a gas explosion destroys the building and kills Hillary and most of the other erstwhile survivors, as well as Quish, who had followed Ben. The tourists take Ben prisoner so that an official from their time, the Undersecretary, can investigate and attempt to mend Ben's "timescape." After Ben accuses Reeve of lacking humanity, she slips him Quish's passport, which conceals a time travel device.

Ben travels to the previous evening. He tries to remove Hillary from Caldwell's house but is caught and arrested. Using his one phone call, he contacts his pre-existing self before Reeve can incapacitate him. Ben's earlier self helps him escape from the jail, and together, the two Bens draw most of town's residents to safety at a church on the other side of town by ringing the church bells to the tune of Für Elise , his wife's favorite piece of music. Leaving Hillary with his earlier self, Ben meets with the Undersecretary to return to his original timeframe. He warns Ben not to interfere any further and threatens to reset the timeline. Ben calls his bluff since the Undersecretary would have already done so if he had the ability.

Some time later, Hillary takes bookings for the completed guest house while Ben reads through old love letters from his late wife. When Hillary looks up, Ben has vanished, and Hillary hears someone playing Für Elise on the piano.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Reeve</span> American actor (1952–2004)

Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, author, and activist, best known for playing the title character in the film Superman (1978) and its three sequels. Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School, making his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Penn</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1960)

Sean Justin Penn is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. Over his career he has earned numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Volpi Cup Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards. Penn received the Honorary César in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Reeves</span> American actor (1914–1959)

George Reeves was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952–1958).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Colbert</span> American comedian and TV host (born 1964)

Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program The Colbert Report from 2005 to 2014 and the CBS talk program The Late Show with Stephen Colbert since September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Daniels</span> American actor (born 1955)

Jeffrey Warren Daniels is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for three Tony Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Wilson</i> (1944 film) 1944 film by Henry King

Wilson is a 1944 biographical film about Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States. Shot in Technicolor and directed by Henry King, the film stars Alexander Knox, Charles Coburn, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Thomas Mitchell, Ruth Nelson, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, William Eythe and Mary Anderson.

<i>Somewhere in Time</i> (film) 1980 film by Jeannot Szwarc

Somewhere in Time is a 1980 American romantic fantasy drama film from Universal Pictures, directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer. It is a film adaptation of the novel Bid Time Return (1975) by Richard Matheson, who also wrote the screenplay.

The Grand Tour is a tour of European cultural centres that once was a standard feature of the education of the European elite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Kors</span> American fashion designer (born 1959)

Michael David Kors is an American fashion designer. He is the chief creative officer of his brand, Michael Kors, which sells men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, watches, jewelry, footwear, and fragrance. Kors was the first women's ready-to-wear designer for the French house Celine, from 1997 to 2003. On January 2, 2019, Michael Kors Holdings Limited officially changed its name to Capri Holdings Limited. Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, and Versace are the three founder-led brands under Capri Holdings Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey Jazz Festival</span> Annual music festival in California since 1958

The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It debuted on October 3, 1958, championed by Dave Brubeck and co-founded by jazz and popular music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jazz disc jockey Jimmy Lyons.

<i>Hollywoodland</i> 2006 American film by Allen Coulter

Hollywoodland is a 2006 American mystery drama film directed by Allen Coulter and written by Paul Bernbaum. The story presents a fictionalized account of the circumstances surrounding the death of actor George Reeves, the star of the 1950s film Superman and the Mole Men and television series Adventures of Superman. Adrien Brody stars as a fictional character, Louis Simo, a private detective investigating Toni Mannix, who was involved in a long romantic relationship with Reeves and was the wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix. Reeves had ended the affair and had become engaged to a younger woman, aspiring actress Leonore Lemmon.

"Conflict Resolution" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office the show's twenty-seventh episode overall. Written by executive producer and show runner Greg Daniels and directed by Charles McDougall, "Conflict Resolution" first aired in the United States on May 4, 2006, on NBC. The episode guest stars Scott Adsit, from Moral Orel and 30 Rock, as a photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Vander Ark</span> American musician

Brian Vander Ark is an American singer-songwriter best known as lead singer for the band The Verve Pipe.

Vintage Season is a science fiction novella by American authors Catherine L. Moore and Henry Kuttner, published under the joint pseudonym "Lawrence O'Donnell" in September, 1946. It has been anthologized many times and was selected for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume 2A.

<i>The Tourist</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

The Tourist is a 2010 American romantic thriller film co-written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and starring Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, and Timothy Dalton. It is a remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer. GK Films financed and produced the film, with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions releasing it in most countries through Columbia Pictures. The $100 million budget film went on to gross $278.3 million at the worldwide box office.

"Here Comes Treble" is the fifth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office. The episode originally aired on NBC on October 25, 2012. It guest stars Stephen Colbert as Andy's college friend Broccoli Rob and Ben Silverman as an investor.

<i>Hard Choices</i> 2014 book by Hillary Clinton

Hard Choices is a memoir of former United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, published by Simon & Schuster in 2014, giving her account of her tenure in that position from 2009 to 2013. It also discusses some personal aspects of her life and career, including her feelings towards President Barack Obama following her 2008 presidential campaign loss to him. It is generally supportive of decisions made by the Obama administration.

<i>Our Cartoon President</i> American animated satirical television series

Our Cartoon President is an American adult animated satirical television series that premiered on February 11, 2018, and ended on November 8, 2020, on Showtime. The series was created by Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Matt Lappin, Tim Luecke, and R. J. Fried and is based on a recurring segment from Colbert's late-night talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

<i>Tooning Out the News</i> American live-action/animated satirical news television show

Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News (TOTN) is an American live-action/animated satirical news television show created and executive produced by comedian and The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, R. J. Fried, Chris Licht and Tim Luecke. The series premiered on CBS All Access on April 7, 2020. The series has received mixed-to-positive reviews and several accolades, including a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination.

References

  1. "Timescape (15)". Cambridge Town Crier. May 16, 1992. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  2. "Unearthed Films Catalog: The Grand Tour (AKA Timescape)" . Retrieved 13 February 2024.