If you could go back in time, would you do it? If yes, when would you want to go back? Would you want to shimmy in a flapper dress in the roaring 20’s or would you prefer to have a drink with the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen? The possibilities are endless, if you are so willing to let your imagination go.
As you know, Mr. ShuGar is a filmmaker and I love indie films. We’re a match made in celluloid heaven! We both love discovering hidden movie gems or (re)appreciating movie classics.
Warning: Nerd alert confession! Mr. ShuGar and I enjoy watching Maltin on Movies on the Reelz Channel on a Friday night. It’s our weekly dose of what’s hot and what’s not in the movie world. This is how we discovered this indie rom com Safety Not Guaranteed. From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine, Safety Not Guaranteed is a film about time travel, but it’s nothing like Back to the Future (one of my childhood obsessions). It’s a movie about the quirkiness of love – perfect for someone like me!
The premise is simple – three journalists from Seattle Magazine set off on a mission to find the man who wrote a classified ad in search for a partner to time travel with him. The investigative team consists of Jeff Schwensen (Jack Johnson), who is the magazine writer, and two interns – Darius Britt (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni). Below is the classified ad requesting a time-traveling companion.
I know the ad says it’s not a joke, but it’s funny, right? The man behind the classified ad is Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass), an eccentric supermarket clerk obsessed with time travel. Kenneth is paranoid, claiming he is being followed by “secret agents,” which makes him even more defensive when Jeff initially approaches him in response to the ad. This inspires Jeff to demand Darius approach Kenneth, since she is a girl and kind of weird herself. Below is the scene when Darius initially propositions Kenneth to rendezvous with him in time.
I love that scene! You can see the chemistry already begin to form – two social outcasts in search of a purpose in life. Without giving too much away, the reason I love this movie (and all my favorites) is because it’s about love. Darius and Kenneth develop a connection as they prepare for their time-traveling journey. Kenneth’s mission is to travel back in time to save his girlfriend’s life. Darius confesses she wants to time travel to prevent the death of her mom, who died in a car accident. Darius and Kenneth are wounded souls – they both need love and would do anything or go anywhere to find it. Below is the touching scene when you know they are becoming much more than time-traveling partners.
Besides love being a common thread in my favorite films, music is also another reason for why I enjoy certain movies. The soundtrack in this movie is so rad – I bought the album immediately after I saw the movie. Ryan Miller performs many of the songs and I am happy to have discovered him through this film. The song above, performed by Kenneth, is for me the highlight of the film!
So, this leaves me with one final question: What would be your time-traveling mission?
Mine would be to go back to elementary school when I was taking ballet classes on weekends. I want to time travel to the moment when my ballet teacher retired and I decided to stop taking classes. Even though I was excelling in dance, I was afraid to start going on pointe without the support of my lovely teacher. I retired from ballet and have always regretted that. I wish I could go back and tell myself to not give up. I would encourage myself to keep going because my heart is meant to dance. How about you?
Finally, one of favorite quotes in the film is below. Although it appears to be about Kenneth’s time travel purpose, it’s really about love and finding that person you can give your heart to, even if safety is not guaranteed.
P.S. My two other favorite quotes:
(1) Kenneth: You ever faced certain death?
Darius: If it was so certain, I wouldn’t be here, would I?
(2) Darius: There’s no sense in nonsense, especially when the heat’s hot.
Photo credit: Safety Not Guaranteed Ad – Lost in the Multiplex, Safety Not Guaranteed Quote Image – Pinstamatic 
