As impossible as this plot actually is, the performances by Catherine Hicks, Robert Hays, Sam Wanamaker and the supporting cast, and the taut compelling script by Robert Glass, make every minute believable -- at least, while you're watching it.
The film, it turns out, is completely different from the novel.
Instead of veering into pseudo-profound "what-if?" political ruminations of a martial-law takeover of the U.S., as does the novel, the film prefers to hew to the intense emotional arcs of the characters, beneath the time-travel mumbo-jumbo (which is admittedly exciting and thought-provoking).
Thus, the concluding scenes offer an unexpectedly powerful heart-rending jolt that deepens everything that's gone before and makes the story wholly worthwhile. Your tears are earned.
Beautifully acted and directed (Bruce Seth Green), "Running Against Time" is one of those rare gems few know about. Though it's a TV movie, it holds its own against any theatrical release based on the time-travel theme.
The film, it turns out, is completely different from the novel.
Instead of veering into pseudo-profound "what-if?" political ruminations of a martial-law takeover of the U.S., as does the novel, the film prefers to hew to the intense emotional arcs of the characters, beneath the time-travel mumbo-jumbo (which is admittedly exciting and thought-provoking).
Thus, the concluding scenes offer an unexpectedly powerful heart-rending jolt that deepens everything that's gone before and makes the story wholly worthwhile. Your tears are earned.
Beautifully acted and directed (Bruce Seth Green), "Running Against Time" is one of those rare gems few know about. Though it's a TV movie, it holds its own against any theatrical release based on the time-travel theme.