 The film has received mixed reviews from critics for the same reasons as the novel, praising the characterization of the couple, applauding their emotional depth; others criticized the melodramatic style and the plot as emotionally trite.Based on 158 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, "The Time Traveler's Wife" has a 39% approval rating from critics, with an average score of 5.11/10 saying, "Though it may satisfy fans of the novel, "The Time Traveler's Wife"s plot's contrivances and illogical narrative hamper its big screen effectiveness".Metacritic, another review aggregator which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film an average score of 47 based on 31 reviews.