Time Changer
Encyclopedia
Time Changer is an independent Comedy-drama
science fiction
Christian film
directed by Rich Christiano
and released by Five & Two Pictures
in 2002. In the movie, Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod
) uses his late father's time machine
to send his colleague, Bible professor Russell Carlisle (D. David Morin), from 1890 into the early 21st century. The film had a limited nationwide release, and was one of the very first offered through Sky Angel
's "Video On Demand" service.
The year is 1890 and Carlisle has written a new manuscript entitled The Changing Times. His book is about to receive a unanimous endorsement from the board members of the Grace Bible Seminary until his colleague Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod) raises an objection. Without the unanimous endorsement, his book might not do so well. Carlisle and another professor seek to have the unanimous endorsement rule changed, but the dean insists Carlisle talk to Anderson privately to resolve their disagreement.
Dr. Anderson believes that what Carlisle has written could greatly affect the future of coming generations, vehemently arguing that teaching good moral values without mentioning Christ is wrong. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle over 100 years into the future, offering him a glimpse of where his beliefs will lead.
Arriving in the early 21st Century, Carlisle is shocked to find that half of all marriages end in divorce (instead of the 5% in 1890), teenagers talk openly about deceiving their parents, movies contain blasphemous words and people who go to church are so bored by the sermons that they need extra activities. He tries to convince a laundromat worker, Eddie Martinez, (Paul Rodriguez
), that he needs to go to church and read the Bible.
A couple of churchgoing men grow suspicious of Carlisle, who acts as if he's seeing everything for the first time. They confront Carlisle just as he's about to be transported back to the past. As the sky begins to grow thunderous, Carlisle seems delirious as he talks about how the second coming of Christ is drawing near. Carlisle vanishes. The men look at where he vanished and one of the men says with dread, "I think we just missed the Rapture."
He reappears back in 1890, and excitedly tells Anderson he will revise his book. He also gives the thieving boy his own set of marbles and explains that it is Jesus Christ who demands honesty. The movie ends with Anderson trying to find out when will the world come to an end, by means of sending a Bible to the future. The machine wouldn't work with sending it to 2100, so he tries with subsequent earlier years. (2090, 2080 and 2070 are explicitly shown on the dials of the machine; he further makes at least two more failed attempts, presumably aiming for 2060 and 2050. The implication seems to be that only the Lord knows when the End comes, or that the End will come before the mid-21st century.)
reviewer Scott Foundas described the film as "goofy fantasy hokum" with a message, one scene as "subpar", and some monologues as "distinctly uncinematic", but other scenes as "surprisingly enjoyable." Foundas found the film "hard to read" - often having "its tongue planted firmly in its cheek", but at other times "sweetly naive". Joe Baltake of The Sacramento Bee
gave 1.5 stars (of 4) to the "whimsical if predictable" film "marred by a willful single-mindedness." He found the film's beginning "interminable", and overall, "very strange".
, the film holds a 22% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes
with 2 out of 9 critics giving it a positive review with an average rating of 3.9/10. , the film holds a 5 out of 10 star user rating on the Internet Movie Database
after 973 votes.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
Christian film
Christian film
The Christian film industry is an umbrella term for films containing a Christian -themed message or moral, produced by openly Christian filmmakers to a Christian audience....
directed by Rich Christiano
Rich Christiano
Rich Christiano is an American filmmaker, who has directed, produced and wrote many Christian films. He owns Christiano Film Group, co-founded Five & Two Pictures and founded ChristianMovies.com in 1997. He is also the brother of Dave Christiano.-Filmography:-External links:* *...
and released by Five & Two Pictures
Five & Two Pictures
Five & Two Pictures is an independent Christian film production company founded in 2002 by Dave Christiano and Rich Christiano. They have produced several major Christian films; Time Changer, Unidentified, Me & You, Us, Forever and The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.- History :Five & Two Pictures was...
in 2002. In the movie, Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod
Gavin MacLeod
Gavin MacLeod is an American actor most notable for playing Happy Haines on McHale's Navy, Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat...
) uses his late father's time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
to send his colleague, Bible professor Russell Carlisle (D. David Morin), from 1890 into the early 21st century. The film had a limited nationwide release, and was one of the very first offered through Sky Angel
Sky Angel
Sky Angel U.S. LLC. describes itself as a "Christian-owned and operated multi-channel television service specializing in Christian and family-friendly TV and radio programming." It is one of the first niche-oriented television providers in the United States....
's "Video On Demand" service.
Plot
At the beginning of the film, Bible professor Russell Carlisle (D. David Morin) confronts a boy who stole marbles from his neighbors, calling his action unjust.The year is 1890 and Carlisle has written a new manuscript entitled The Changing Times. His book is about to receive a unanimous endorsement from the board members of the Grace Bible Seminary until his colleague Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod) raises an objection. Without the unanimous endorsement, his book might not do so well. Carlisle and another professor seek to have the unanimous endorsement rule changed, but the dean insists Carlisle talk to Anderson privately to resolve their disagreement.
Dr. Anderson believes that what Carlisle has written could greatly affect the future of coming generations, vehemently arguing that teaching good moral values without mentioning Christ is wrong. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle over 100 years into the future, offering him a glimpse of where his beliefs will lead.
Arriving in the early 21st Century, Carlisle is shocked to find that half of all marriages end in divorce (instead of the 5% in 1890), teenagers talk openly about deceiving their parents, movies contain blasphemous words and people who go to church are so bored by the sermons that they need extra activities. He tries to convince a laundromat worker, Eddie Martinez, (Paul Rodriguez
Paul Rodríguez
Paul Rodriguez is a Mexican-American stand-up comedian and actor.-Personal life:Rodriguez was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México to Mexican agriculture ranchers.. His family migrated to East Los Angeles, where he enlisted in the military; he was stationed in Iceland and Duluth, Minnesota...
), that he needs to go to church and read the Bible.
A couple of churchgoing men grow suspicious of Carlisle, who acts as if he's seeing everything for the first time. They confront Carlisle just as he's about to be transported back to the past. As the sky begins to grow thunderous, Carlisle seems delirious as he talks about how the second coming of Christ is drawing near. Carlisle vanishes. The men look at where he vanished and one of the men says with dread, "I think we just missed the Rapture."
He reappears back in 1890, and excitedly tells Anderson he will revise his book. He also gives the thieving boy his own set of marbles and explains that it is Jesus Christ who demands honesty. The movie ends with Anderson trying to find out when will the world come to an end, by means of sending a Bible to the future. The machine wouldn't work with sending it to 2100, so he tries with subsequent earlier years. (2090, 2080 and 2070 are explicitly shown on the dials of the machine; he further makes at least two more failed attempts, presumably aiming for 2060 and 2050. The implication seems to be that only the Lord knows when the End comes, or that the End will come before the mid-21st century.)
Cast
- D. David Morin as Russell Carlisle
- Gavin MacLeodGavin MacLeodGavin MacLeod is an American actor most notable for playing Happy Haines on McHale's Navy, Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat...
as Norris Anderson - Hal LindenHal LindenHal Linden is an American stage and television actor and television director, best known for his role in the television comedy series Barney Miller and as presenter on the ABC educational series Animals, Animals, Animals....
as The Dean - Jennifer O'NeillJennifer O'Neill-Early life:O'Neill was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the daughter of a famous Spanish-Irish dental supply import/export businessman, Oscar D' O'Neill and his English wife. As a teenager, O'Neill worked as a fashion model and appeared in television commercials and on magazine covers before moving...
as Michelle Bain - Paul RodriguezPaul RodríguezPaul Rodriguez is a Mexican-American stand-up comedian and actor.-Personal life:Rodriguez was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México to Mexican agriculture ranchers.. His family migrated to East Los Angeles, where he enlisted in the military; he was stationed in Iceland and Duluth, Minnesota...
as Eddie Martinez - Richard RiehleRichard Riehle-Life and career:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle , an assistant postmaster. He attended the University of Notre Dame....
as Dr. Wiseman - John Valdetero as Tom Sharp
- Dan CampbellDan CampbellDaniel Allen Campbell is a former American football tight end and currently a tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphins. He played tight end for four teams in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at...
as Rex - Evan EllingsonEvan EllingsonEvan Taylor Ellingson is an American actor.Ellingson grew up in La Verne, California with his three older brothers.He guest-starred on MAD TV, and then had a regular role on the Fox sitcom Titus. In 2004, Evan was chosen to play Kyle Savage on the Mel Gibson-produced short-lived sitcom Complete...
as Roger - Crystal Robbins as Mrs. Matthews
- Patti MacLeod as Norris' Wife (as Patty MacLeod)
- Paul Napier as Dr. Butler
- Charles Hutchins as Dr. Henry
- Callan White as Carlisle's Wife
- Ross McKerras as Pawn Shop Guy
- Ruben Madera as Bellhop
- Mike Wilson as Sam
- Arthur Roberts as Man in Pew
- Rod Britt as Pastor
- Ron Sey as Hot Dog Vendor
- Emily Trapp as Young Girl
- Brad Heller as Boutique Manager
- Alexander Polk as Security Guard
- Teresa Vidak as Waitress
- Paige PetersonPaige Peterson (actress)Paige Ellen Peterson is an American actress and veteran cheerleader, best known for being typecast as pompon captain Amy Wright in the American television sitcom Hang Time between 1996 and 1997. She has modeled for Maxim magazine and played in the Lingerie Bowl.Peterson competed in numerous beauty...
as Cindy
- Alana Curry as Kelly
- Nan McNamara as Tom's Wife
- Cassandra Byram as Rex's Wife
- Alfred Jackson as Student
- Michael GierMichael GierMichael Gier is a Swiss competition rower and Olympic champion.Together with his brother Markus Gier Gier won a gold medal in lightweight double sculls, at the 1996 Summer Olympics . He also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he finished 5th.-References:...
as Group Leader - Chipper LowellChipper LowellChipper Lowell is an Award-winning visual and variety comedy comedian who has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Disney Channel, General Hospital, Empty Nest, Show Me The Funny, America's Funniest People, Shades of L.A., The Art of Mime, and the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. His film...
as Visitation Guy (as Chip Lowell) - Linda Kerns as Lady Prospect
- William Bowerman as William
- Michelle Allsopp as Secretary (as Michelle Dunker)
- Kevin DownesKevin DownesKevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Downes grew up in Visalia, 3 hours north of Los Angeles. Most of the Christian films he participated in were shot there....
as Greg - Michael Dotson as Bar Patron
- Alexander Folk as Security Guard
Reception
In the Charlotte Observer, Lawrence Toppman praised the acting work, but had questions about plot holes and how some of the film's premises would be accepted by Christian viewers. Toppman wrote, "technically, the film can stand with most releases", and gave it 2.5 stars out of four. VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reviewer Scott Foundas described the film as "goofy fantasy hokum" with a message, one scene as "subpar", and some monologues as "distinctly uncinematic", but other scenes as "surprisingly enjoyable." Foundas found the film "hard to read" - often having "its tongue planted firmly in its cheek", but at other times "sweetly naive". Joe Baltake of The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...
gave 1.5 stars (of 4) to the "whimsical if predictable" film "marred by a willful single-mindedness." He found the film's beginning "interminable", and overall, "very strange".
, the film holds a 22% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
with 2 out of 9 critics giving it a positive review with an average rating of 3.9/10. , the film holds a 5 out of 10 star user rating on the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
after 973 votes.