Rachel McAdams stars as the wife of the title, but it's her husband (Eric Bana) who takes precedence in this sci-fi drama. Henry (Bana) involuntarily slips through time at the most inopportune moments, and can be gone for weeks while Clare (McAdams) pines for his return. More often than not, he's off visiting her in childhood, planting the seeds of this discontent. In the bestselling novel, the premise allowed author Audrey Niffenegger to explore dysfunctional relationships in a unique fashion. Here, director Robert Schwentke creates intrigue, but also skirts the emotional crux of the matter. The film becomes a dry exercise in juggling timelines and leaves the characters lacking depth. The tragedy of Clare and Henry's romance is muted, and the mundane way they treat his time-travelling also dampens the mood. Suspending disbelief becomes a more difficult task with each passing minute. A disappointment.

Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry DeTamble involuntarily zips through time, appearing at various moments in the life of his true love, the beautiful artist Clare Abshire.