Okay, I know Hot Tub Time Machine isn't exactly relevant anymore, since it came out a while back, but this can easily apply to many time travel movies, I just use Hot Tub Time Machine as an example since it is one of the newest to come out.
In the movie, they travel back in time, and instead of doing what they did when they were that age (since they somehow got turned into their old selves), they do what they want, and one guy stays back in time, while the others get sent back to the present day. Turns out they changed the future, but for the better. Everyone's lives turned from shit to awesomeness. So happily ever after right?
No. This time travel scenario really has some horrible implications. This isn't even going into the ethics of going back in time to change how history works out, because that is too obvious and overdone. What I am going to touch up on isn't the act of changing history, but the changed history itself.
No. This time travel scenario really has some horrible implications. This isn't even going into the ethics of going back in time to change how history works out, because that is too obvious and overdone. What I am going to touch up on isn't the act of changing history, but the changed history itself.
Just think about it. Let's take John Cusack's character Adam. He is miserable, suffering through a bitter divorce, and all that stuff. During the past, he runs into this awesome girl, April, that he didn't meet during his regular past. They totally click, and after fucking with history, they end up happily married in the new present. What's so bad about that?
Again, just think about it. Imagine you meet the perfect girl. You two just click, and even though it sounds cliche, you know that you are meant to be together, because you two will live happily ever after. Wouldn't you want to be married to her instead of the bitch you divorced? Well yeah, but you would want to enjoy the time with her. When Adam returns to the future, he is completely unaware that he is married to April. After the initial shock, he is completely relieved that they are married. But the problem is HE DOESN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!
He doesn't remember how they met back up after they had to part ways, he doesn't remember dating her, the proposal, the wedding, the honeymoon... you get where I'm going. Those are some of the best moments of your life, and even though your new future is totally going to be better than the old divorce future, you still have no memory of the happiest parts of your life. If I couldn't remember anything about my marriage, I would be so fucking depressed.
A lot of movies do this. In Back to the Future, Marty McFly goes back into time, and changes history, but at least it isn't as awful as in Hot Tub Time Machine. He makes sure his parents still get married, so he can obviously still be born, but he makes his fathers confidence rise to the point where he becomes a successful science-fiction writer. Sure, that is tampering with the past, but the thing that makes this scenario better is that Marty's life was pretty good before the change. He had a girlfriend, his family was normal, albeit somewhat poor, and his father didn't have as good self-esteem. Also, Marty doesn't change the course of his life too drastically. He still has to go to school, he will just be a little wealthier. It doesn't give us the intricacies of what exactly changes in his life, but it seems for the most part, the same. The only fucked up thing is how Biff pretty much got turned into a monkey-man-slave hybrid to Marty's father. Seriously, he may have been a complete bully, but no one deserves to turn into... that...
Who knows what memories Marty missed out on by changing history though. Maybe he won the National Spelling B, maybe he got to bang the hottest girl in school before he met his current girlfriend. Regardless, his life didn't change too much from the history changes, so it isn't as much an issue.
Bring up any history-changing time travel movie, and this easily becomes an issue. Honestly, the only movie that I have seen that seems like they did it right was the The Butterfly Effect, but that movie sucked. When he changes history, all the memories get forced into his head, kind of like memory rape. It's intense enough to give him bloody noses. You suddenly have all the memories that you should have experienced in the new timeline. Of course, this scenario begs the question if the person keeps the memories they replaced or not. It's been such a long time since i viewed that movie, and I don't remember if they address it or not. I don't care either, because it's a bad movie. They at least did that right.
The only time travel concepts I think works well is the idea that traveling back in the past is part of the same timeline. You are not changing anything because that happened in your past too. The only movie I can think of off the top of my head that uses this version of time travel is "Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip" and I know that is an obscure reference. Basically, Dexter Time Travels, does shit, goes back to present time, and he seems himself doing something he does in the beginning of the movie. One timeline, where the time travel is supposed to happen, and you cannot change anything. It kind of goes along the idea of fate, and whatever happen(s/ed) is destiny, and there is no changing it.
And there is my rant. It would suck to miss out on so many awesome memories. It's a matter of opinion if those lost memories are worth a better future.
One more point I just thought of. What about Lou, the guy that stayed in the past and changed the future? Forget that he used his knowledge of history to become a gazillonaire, changed Google's name to "Lougle", and changed the band to "Motley Lou", and all of that stuff. What exactly does that mean for him? He got to live, let's face it, a pretty awesome life. He abuse the time travel situation, and got to remember all the new and improved things happening to him. What could be bad about that?
Reliving your life with the knowledge of your old life. Imagine having all the knowledge, memories and experiences of your old, shitty life, and then reliving your life with that under your belt. One just doesn't forget a suicide attempt. One doesn't forget the shitty things that happened to you. Not to mention growing up again. If I had to relive my high school years, but with knowledge of everything that happens, I would try to make it much better, but I couldn't forget everything. What people do, how people change. And I can't even tell anyone about all of these things because they don't know the things you know. Those memories are only yours, until they happen again, but they might not even happen again. Imagine getting to a day you remember, and it turns out completely different. Sure, it could be for the better, but that dissonance in your mind would be problematic.
And what about his mental state? When Lou goes back into time and stays back in time, does his mind revert back to that age? I don't think so. His mind still should age like he never traveled back in time. By the time he is 60, his mind should be 80, or however many years he traveled back. Can you say early Alzheimers? Who knows. Sure, he has the upside of getting to experience and remember a great life, but it will have, or at least should have had a great toll on his mind.
Well that is about it. Let me know what you think!
One more point I just thought of. What about Lou, the guy that stayed in the past and changed the future? Forget that he used his knowledge of history to become a gazillonaire, changed Google's name to "Lougle", and changed the band to "Motley Lou", and all of that stuff. What exactly does that mean for him? He got to live, let's face it, a pretty awesome life. He abuse the time travel situation, and got to remember all the new and improved things happening to him. What could be bad about that?
Reliving your life with the knowledge of your old life. Imagine having all the knowledge, memories and experiences of your old, shitty life, and then reliving your life with that under your belt. One just doesn't forget a suicide attempt. One doesn't forget the shitty things that happened to you. Not to mention growing up again. If I had to relive my high school years, but with knowledge of everything that happens, I would try to make it much better, but I couldn't forget everything. What people do, how people change. And I can't even tell anyone about all of these things because they don't know the things you know. Those memories are only yours, until they happen again, but they might not even happen again. Imagine getting to a day you remember, and it turns out completely different. Sure, it could be for the better, but that dissonance in your mind would be problematic.
And what about his mental state? When Lou goes back into time and stays back in time, does his mind revert back to that age? I don't think so. His mind still should age like he never traveled back in time. By the time he is 60, his mind should be 80, or however many years he traveled back. Can you say early Alzheimers? Who knows. Sure, he has the upside of getting to experience and remember a great life, but it will have, or at least should have had a great toll on his mind.
Well that is about it. Let me know what you think!
You took the words out of my mouth. Well said, sir!
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