It has been demonstrated that neither parallel dimension theory (described here) nor divergent dimension theory (described here) can support the events in the time travel film Primer. The question might reasonably be asked, though, whether the story works under fixed time.
Perhaps the first clue that the film is not following fixed time theory is the incident with the cell phone. It could not happen as it does under fixed time. To refresh, when Abe and Aaron are in the hotel their first time through the day, Aaron's cell phone rings, and after some discussion they answer it. Then on the second time through the day the same call reaches Aaron downtown, and again after some discussion Aaron does not answer it. Someone has suggested that it was answered by the other Aaron, at the hotel, so nothing was disrupted; but that answer will not stand.
First, Abe is right: cell phones do not work that way. Only one of the two phones is ringing, so if the phone is ringing downtown it is not also ringing at the hotel, and could not be answered from the hotel even if that Aaron somehow tried to do so. Once the network finds the "right" phone it stops looking, and on the second pass through history the "right" phone was found downtown.
Even, though, if Abe were wrong, the filmmakers perhaps rather skillfully tell us in the downtown scene that the phone was not answered at the hotel. At the hotel, Aaron answers his phone in the middle of the fourth ring; the downtown phone is clearly heard to ring at least five full times. Had it been picked up at the same moment at the hotel, it would not have completed that fifth ring downtown. The answers to questions about time travel stories are often in the minutia, and this is an excellent example of that, as the difference of an extra one and a half rings means that the phone was not answered.
(In this, it might also be noted that the phone downtown will show a call received and a call missed from the same caller at the same moment, but the call at the hotel will never show both calls in its call record whatever happens next. Aaron's phone downtown will have to be replaced in the replay of history with the other phone, so we are not viewing the final form of history there.)
As the story comes to its close there is far clearer evidence that time is not fixed: the pair intentionally change aspects of history beginning with the shotgun party, and accidentally change other aspects including the fate of Thomas Granger. That Aaron can discuss what happened in previous versions of history (he knows what happened at the party the time he was the hero) demonstrates that history has been changed, and fixed time makes it an absolute that it simply cannot be. Thus fixed time is excluded as a possible theory of time for Primer.
It seems likely that the characters at least think they are working with divergent or parallel dimension theory, because when they decide to seek out Joseph Platts and then escape punishment by altering history, they assume it will be all right because later that day their alternate selves will use the time machines to go back to that morning, which probably would be all right if the machines are moving them to divergent or parallel worlds--but other events in the film (as previously considered) are impossible for these theories. However, not all the results are consistent with replacement theory, either, which leads to the problem that it does not appear that the writers had a consistent theory of time in mind when they created the story.
Comments
I am reminded of the VanDamme movie Time Cop where persons travelling through time cannot occupy the same space in time. This is illustrated by Ron Silver's character near the end of the film where he is destroyed when he comes into physical contact with a future version of himself. What are your thoughts about this? Would this be true of a person's alternate self from another dimension? Not necessarily from another time but from parrallel universe. Would travelling between universes be, in essence, the same as travelling through time? If you haven't seen Time Cop, I would highly recommend it. It really brings up some interesting points about time travel. It also showcases the best performance of Ron Silver's carrer. Silver also wrote a book about searching for the ultimate hot wing. Have you read this, by chance? I know this has little to do with time travel, but as a man with a beard, what are your feelings about hot wings? Too messy? Too spicy? Thanks in advance!
Second of two:
There are discussions of alternate dimension theory in the theory articles here and in the Theory section of the Temporal Anomalies site. In short, such concepts can sometimes mimic time travel but don't actually involve someone or something traveling to his/its own past or future. It would be more like discovering you have a long-lost twin in Boston. The two concepts are fundamentally different.
I generally avoid "hot" foods. I will occasionally eat hot Italian sausage or put a sprinkle of crushed red pepper on my pizza, but I don't like curries or other Indian foods, Mexican foods, or most hot foods. That "hot" flavor is the sensation of taste buds being killed, incidentally; people who eat hot foods a lot are losing their ability to taste more subtle flavors. And the beard is not an issue.
Thanks again.
--M. J. Young
First of two:
Thanks for the comment, Shang-Cheese; there are several good questions which may be more than I can answer by comment, but let me attempt it.
I saw Time Cop years ago, and I remember Silver being very good (I liked him in TV's Wiseguy), but the film is a temporal disaster full of complications. I discuss it briefly on the Other Films page of the Temporal Anomalies site (links don't work in comments here, but I think you can find it through my profile).
The notion of destroying yourself by meeting your duplicate only makes sense (as in Dr. Who) if the mode of time travel or the nature of time itself means that persons from different times have different energy levels; even this is pushing things, because energy would not be so personal, and so contacting anyone from the wrong time would be disastrous in that case. I don't find it credible.
Continued....
Seen this thirteen times this year, it's getting to be an obsession, but a nice one. The Granger question still puzzles me, then I noticed something at the start of the movie last night. When they start to build the first box in the garage they have a set of blueprints on the wall, which we don't get to see fully. Robert says 'These guys are funded, liquid helium' there then follows a discussion where Abe explains how they can do the same but without the cooling. Where did these plans come from? It's not clear to me. Did Abe steal the plans from Granger in the first place? Remember Granger is the one hope they have for funding. I think Granger already had a time delay device, and Abe and Aaron are building a copy.
I was thinking about the name 'Granger', then it occurred to me: Stewart Granger appeared in the Prisoner Of Zenda. Surely Primer is not Shane Carruth's retelling of Zenda? There are many similarities - impersonations, kidnappings, druggings, plots and counter plots.
Thanks for your comments, Granger #3. You posted these same comments (word-for-word) on another article, http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15701-Time-Travel-Movies-Examiner~y20... Primer part 6: the inexplicable traveler, and I have answered them there.
--M. J. Young
I read a great explanation of Granger in an online book. I had a link but I can't find it. Something about the universe as presented in this awesome film.
Thank you, Greg. I would be interested to know what book it was. I read one that was very well researched and detailed, but whose time travel theory was rather muddled and internally contradictory. If there is another, I would be interested in reading that as well.
--M. J. Young
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