"Timelineâ is a 2003 film directed by Richard Donner, from a book by Michael Crichton, that is currently being screened on HBO. I was keen on seeing it again, if only to see if my first impressions had changed. I was excited when it came out years ago because I had just finished the book, and I like anything about time travel. I felt the film treatment didnât do the book justice and that remains true. But it was fun to see Gerard Butler in one of his early films, and Frances OâConnor. The former has had a rich career, though heâs a mediocre actor. The latter is a terrific actress, but her career has been limited. (If you arenât familiar with OâConnor, go back and see her in Jane Austenâs âMansfield Parkâ (1999) and Oscar Wildeâs âThe Importance of Being Earnestâ (2002). Paul Walker, who died tragically in an auto accident in Los Angeles in 2013, and whose career came alive with the âFast and Furiousâ films, oddly received top billing in the film.