In the events of The Lake House as portrayed, on Valentines Day 2006 Alex Wyler is headed out with his brother Henry and has no particular plans for the day, but his brother declines an invitation to go out later because he is taking a girl out to celebrate the holiday. That reminds Alex of something he read in a letter from Kate, about having seen a man killed on that date at Daley Plaza. He rushes to the lake house to find his letters in the attic, and then rushes back to Chicago to attempt to catch her at lunch, and in doing so is hit by the bus and becomes the patient she could not save.
The problem is, that information is in the very last letter she sent him, from her in the fall of 2006 to him in the fall of 2004. In order for him to know she is there, he must already have received that letter; but for her to have sent that letter, he must already have been killed at that location. We have a very complicated predestination paradox, in which he can only be killed if he got that letter and he can only get that letter if he was killed.
There are very few ways to resolve a predestination paradox. One is to assume fixed time and accept the uncaused cause, that what happens in time does not have to occur in temporal sequence as long as all causes and effects are incorporated in one history, and nothing can be changed. Happy Accidents attempted to avoid this by proposing Cheeseman's Emotional Energy Theory, by which the focus of sufficient emotional energy on a moment in time could change history; but this in essence changes fixed time to some other theory, possibly divergent dimension theory or more plausibly replacement theory. The former simply means that the history of the world is different in this new universe, that a change launched from the original universe created a different version of time in this one. The latter is more complicated.
The resolution under replacement theory requires that there be an original cause in history for one of the critical events. In this case, either a different person was killed at that accident or Alex was there for a completely different reason. There are good reasons to think it was someone else; but this disrupts the magic of that moment. It is much more difficult to find a reason for Alex to be killed there, but if he is not that creates problems for several later events in the film.
If Alex did not die at Daley Plaza, then he probably did call her on July 10th, 2006, at 9:05 p.m., as she suggested. There are other complications with this, though--for example, by the time she mailed the letter she already knew that he had not called. More significantly, if he were alive he would have met her at the restaurant Il Mare; and had he met her there, she would not have broken contact, and he would not have sought her at Daley Plaza, and would not have become the accident victim.
The other option does not play well, either, though. Could she genuinely not have recognized in February 2006 the man who kissed her at her birthday party in the fall of 2004, less than eighteen months before? Further, why is a distracted Alex Wilder crossing Daley Plaza in her direction at that moment if not to see her?
That becomes more complicated as the story unfolds, and we will return to it; for the moment, we must conclude that around lunchtime Alex Wilder was at Daley Plaza and attempted to cross, and was hit by the bus. In the original history, Kate would not recognize him, because he has not yet done any of the other things in the story. With this, we can launch the magic, as her attendance on him creates the connection between them.
Comments
I have read your Lake House articles as they've been posted and they have given me some insight into the movies that have gone overlooked. I have also read the response columns and you keep mentioning trolls. Are trolls a term used in time travel for someone or something that sabotages time travel attempts? This is the understanding I have.
I may be mistaken but is Time Traveler's Wife on your slate of films? Is your hat a reference to Indiana Jones?
I was able to see the Wiz and am not sure if I understand it and was confused a lot. Will you post a time travel explanation for S. Darko? Also there is a lot of time travel in the movies of Austion Danger Powers. I would feel you do not provide explanation for the silly movies however I saw you were able to analyze Ted and Bill movies. With Keanu Reeves, was Matrix of time travel? I also have a suggestion for when movies with time travel have completed, I think it would be good to explain movies where people have become shrunk. There are a lot to choose from like the ones with the family with the dad from Ghostbusters films. Or also Lily Tomlin. There is the one with Eddie Murphy in which he is a giant robot. I feel these are the best types of movies along with movies who have plots in the snow but I am certain you cannot write articles about films that all have the setting of snow as there are many.
buns?
Thank you both for your comments.
June, "troll" is an Internet word derived by combining its two definitions. A troll is an ugly vicious fantasy creature that devours people; trolling is a fishing concept of dragging a line through water to see if fish bite. An Internet troll is someone who posts on forums/boards to annoy other posters and attempt to start some type of fight. When I say a poster might be a troll, I mean that he is not posting seriously but attempting to get me to post something he can criticize. Few posters here (or anywhere) fall into that category.
I have started analyzing the very difficult film The Time Traveler's Wife, and perhaps rather ambitiously hope to have it ready when The Lake House finishes its run.
The hat is a Fedora, like the one Indiana Jones wears, and it reminds me of him; but I wear it because my wife thinks I look good in it, and although I don't think I look good, I do like the hat--and it keeps my hair contained.
--M. J. Young
Doc, I have not yet seen S. Darko but there have been questions and I am keeping an eye out for a copy. I only saw the first of the Austin Powers movies, and other than that the lead characters were in stasis since the sixties I don't recall any time travel--but I'll check that.
As far as other types of movies, there are more time travel movies than I can watch never mind analyze in a lifetime, and they come out with new ones every year, so I'll be at this for a while. If there are time travel movies that particularly interest you, mention them here or drop me an e-mail and I'll see what I can do.
Again, thanks to all who read and who comment.
--M. J. Young
This has little to do with the article (which I am truly a fan, by the way) but, judging from your pic, I think you look great in the fedora. Not really so much in an Indiana Jones-type of way but more like a calmer and more pleasant Harlan Ellison. You have that rugged intellectual/writer look that is complimented nicely by a kind but slightly sly smile. The beard brings the whole rugged look together with a Tom Berringer intensity. You have that popular nerd-chic look while maintaining a rugged and no nonsense down to earth intellectualism.
After re-reading my post I feel the need to say that I am not gay. I don't consider telling another man that he looks cool or is handsome to be a homosexual statement. I hope that you did not take my compliment as such.
Thanks, Freddie. Although I lack much of a sense of style, I do not think it unmasculine to have one, and appreciate those who do. My wife discovered that the fedora works for me, and I've been wearing one for quite a few years. As to the beard, that's mostly my laziness and dislike of shaving. I've never liked the feel of my face "clean-shaven". But I'm glad it works visually.
--M. J. Young
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