Customer Reviews

Running Against Time [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Running Against Time" is an enjoyable film that I happened to stumble upon early one morning. Time travel films have always fascinated me starting with "The Time Machine" with Rod Taylor, which one an Oscar for special effects way back in the '60s.

This film doesn't pussyfoot around with 20 minutes of build-up, they get straight to the meat of the plot relatively fast. You have a physics professor, Dr. Koopman (Sam Wanamaker) who is working on the time travel concept, secretly, with obviously, some success. His "clandestine" experiments are accidentally discovered by another professor (history), David (Robert Hays) who volunteers his help with the research. You see, he lost his big brother in the Viet Nam war and he'd like to go back and prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, thus saving his brother's life.

David's girlfriend (Catherine Hicks) is a TV reporter who is trying to get an interview with Dr. Koopman and is drawn into the overall intrigue.

Koopman, is outraged about the revelation of his work, but does not want the research made public. He's almost "blackmailed" into allowing David and his girlfriend to participate in his work.

He sends David back in time (1963) to stop the President's murder by Lee Harvey Oswald. What they did consider, but ignored, was that David's going back would effect his own presence on our planet in 1963: two life forces in one space.

Can you really go back and change history? It's fascinating to think that everything that has ever happened is still happening IN TIME. Just think, "Gone With the Wind" is still, and will forever be, in production in 1938! With time travel, we could go back and watch the filming of the burning of Atlanta, or any event in history. Going back, you could even see your own mother playing in the backyard in 1925.

When David gets back to 1963 at the book storehouse, Oswald is loading his rifle, but our time traveler is unable to stop the killing. Instead, he shoots Oswald and the police arrive with Oswald claiming that David was the shooter. The plot gets interesting at this point with Hicks having to travel back EARLIER than David to help him out of the jam.

When Hick's "travel plans" don't work out (upon arriving, she's hit by a car and taken to the hospital), Dr. Koopman decides to go back to rescue them. While back at his old house in 1963, Koopman decides to visit President Lyndon Johnson to convince him to get out of Viet Nam before it's too late. He warns him of what will happen if the war is escalated. Johnson is shocked by what he hears and SEES in a filmed documentary (provided by Koopman) from THE FUTURE in which he sees himself deciding not to run for a second term. Outraged, Johnson sends in more troops to Viet Nam.

I won't tell everything, but it gets exciting and also very sad, especially when Hays speaks to his older brother, aged 16, at a hospital where he (Hays, aged 10) is dying of an unknown ailment (remember, two life forces sharing the same time in space?)

Tears well up in my eyes every time I see this film. I thought that the performances were wonderful and I wouldn't want to see any other actors playing these roles, this casting was perfect.

I wouldn't mind having this on DVD, even though the VHS copy I have is just fine. Put this out on DVD! I'll buy it.

Robert Hays stars in this interesting time travel movie where he goes back in time to try to stop the J.F.K. killing. Things keep going wrong, and he and his wife keep going back to different times of the day to try to set things right. A lot of twists and turns here.

Based on the book "A Time to Remember," by Stanley Shapiro, who also wrote the screenplay. The book and movie differed a bit, especially the ending, but it would be well worth it for fans of the movie to check out the book, if you can find it. Speaking of being hard to find, hopefully this movie will be available on DVD soon.

A movie the whole family could watch. Very interesting SCFI and great twist of events.

Apparently, you need Plating Current to time travel. Who knew? Every time they show the doctors machine, he flips a switch labeled PLATING CURRENT.

An interesting time travel TV movie where Robert Hays (Airplane, Starman TV show) must race against time to prevent the assassination of president Kennedy.

I am no critic. I just love movies that have to do with time traveling and strong emotional outcomes. For a TV movie this is better than most. Leaves you thinking: What would you do if you can go back in time? Would you try and stop something awful, warn someone who makes a tragic mistake or just observe? Really good, wish it was on DVD.

Overall, a fairly enjoyable film. However, as an ardent history buff and someone who has spent years reading about JFK's life and tragic death at the hands of Lee Oswald, the film is significantly flawed in its history regarding Kennedy and especially his death in Dallas. However, given that this movie is not meant to be a history lesson, but is instead meant as a sweet ode to the love of brothers, one can shake off their inner history geek and kick back for a fun rainy day show. The cast does fairly well, especially Sam Wanamaker as Koopman. I really liked the score in this film, and in some ways, this film was a predecessor to movies like "The Butterfly Effect" with its suggestion of how changing just one thing could affect the entire course of world events. Overall, a fairly entertaining movie, one that I'm happy to own. That being said, I have to pass my warnings along to fellow Kennedy buffs and warn you that you will find yourself going, "Hey, wait a minute. That's not how it looked...." =) Don't let that discourage you, though, as this movie is a fun little journey of its own.