''Hot Tub Time Machine'' is a 2010 American

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univer ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term ori ...

film directed by Steve Pink and starring

John Cusack John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays '' Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his o ...

, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover,

Lizzy Caplan Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...

, and

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...

. The film was released on March 26, 2010. It follows four men who travel back in time to 1986 via a hot tub, and must find a way to return to 2010. A sequel, '' Hot Tub Time Machine 2'', was released on February 20, 2015.

Plot

Three estranged, depressed friends—Adam Yates, a workaholic who was dumped by his girlfriend; neglected husband Nick Webber-Agnew, who works a dead-end job; and Lou Dorchen, an alcoholic slacker in his 40s—reconnect in 2010 when Lou is hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning. To cheer Lou up, Adam and Nick arrange for him to join them and Adam's slacker nephew Jacob at Kodiak Valley Ski Resort, where the three enjoyed themselves in their youth. When they arrive, they find that the town is not what it used to be, with many of the stores boarded up and the hotel run down. While drinking in their hotel room's hot tub, the four accidentally douse the console with an energy drink. The next day, they go skiing, and after many strange occurrences, realize they have traveled back to 1986. Adam, Lou, and Nick have also assumed their younger bodies, although Jacob's appearance has not changed since he was not born yet, though he occasionally flickers. A cryptic repairman appears and warns them not to change anything, as it might affect history. To minimize the butterfly effect, the group plans to re-enact their experiences: Adam has to break up with his girlfriend Jenny and get stabbed in the eye with a fork; Lou must pick a fight with and get beaten up by Blaine, a ski patrol bully; Nick must have sex with a groupie and perform with his band at an open microphone event. They also find Adam's sister—and Jacob's mother—Kelly at the resort. The three find their tasks difficult; Lou gets punched by Blaine and loses his backpack, but realizes he must face him again later at night, so he reluctantly challenges him again. Adam becomes attracted to Jenny again and loses the will to break up, but is distracted when he meets free-spirited music journalist April during a concert. Nick is concerned about cheating on his wife, even though he has not married yet at the time. Jenny turns the tables on Adam when she initiates their breakup, but he still gets stabbed in the eye with a fork after he tries to prevent it. He wanders around the resort alone before encountering April, they break into a home and become intimate. Meanwhile, Nick covers more upbeat music during his performance. When the repairman tells Jacob a chemical is the key to their time travel, Jacob realizes it was the energy drink they spilled. After the group prevents Lou from falling off the rooftop, they go to Blaine's cabin to search for the drink. Lou seduces Kelly but, when Jacob interrupts them having sex, he suddenly vanishes. They realize that Lou is Jacob's father as he reappears after Lou and Kelly finish conceiving him. Leaving Kelly, Lou finally beats Blaine, and the four retrieve the energy drink and return to the hot tub where they create a vortex. Jacob and Nick enter the tub first, but Lou decides to stay in 1986, admitting to Adam that his carbon monoxide poisoning was a suicide attempt. Knowing the future, he intends to make investments and have a closer relationship with Jacob. Adam wants to stay too, but Lou throws him into the vortex at the last moment. Back in 2010, Adam, Nick, and Jacob discover that Lou has changed history by founding the immensely successful Lougle, which affords him a luxurious lifestyle with Kelly. Adam discovers that he is happily married to April, while Nick is a successful music producer married to a loving and supportive wife. They reunite at Lou's mansion with their families, satisfied with their new lives.

Cast

as Adam Yates ** Jake Rose as 1986 Adam * Rob Corddry as Lou "Violator" Dorchen ** Brook Bennett as 1986 Lou * Craig Robinson as Nick Webber-Agnew ** Aliu Oyofo as 1986 Nick * Clark Duke as Jacob Yates *

as Repairman * Collette Wolfe as Kelly Yates * Crispin Glover as Phil Wedmaier * Sebastian Stan as Blaine *

as April Drennan * Crystal Lowe as Zoe * Kellee Stewart as Courtney Agnew ** Odessa Rojen as 9-year-old Courtney *

Lyndsy Fonseca Lyndsy Marie Fonseca (born January 7, 1987) is an American actress. She began her career by appearing as Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', on which she starred between 2001 and 2005. Thereafter, she h ...

as Jenny * Charlie McDermott as Chaz *

Jessica Paré Jessica Paré (born December 5, 1980) is a Canadian actress and singer known for her co-starring roles on the AMC series ''Mad Men'' and the CBS series '' SEAL Team''. She has also appeared in the films ''Stardom'' (2000), ''Lost and Delirious' ...

as Tara *

William Zabka William Michael Zabka (; born October 20, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Johnny Lawrence in ''The Karate Kid'' (1984), '' The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986) and the TV series ''Cobra Kai'' (2018–present). In 2004, ...

as Rick Steelman

Production

Steve Pink directed the movie and Josh Heald wrote the screenplay. It was filmed primarily at the Vancouver Film Studios in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

and the

Fernie Alpine Resort Fernie Alpine Resort is a ski resort, located on Lizard Range, near the town of Fernie, British Columbia in Canada. The resort also operates a mountain bike park, hiking, guided hikes, and sightseeing in the summer months. The resort has 10 ...

in Fernie,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

. Kelvin Humenny served as the art director for the film.

Marketing

The first trailer for the film and the red-band trailer appeared on July 24, 2009, at Comic-Con 2009 and on the Internet. One of the red-band trailers consists primarily of specially shot footage (not featured in the film) of

's character in a tub. The film was screened for free in over 50 cities in the weeks leading up to its release. On March 29, 2010, Corddry and Duke were guest hosts on ''

WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show f ...

'' from the

US Airways Center The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

, to promote the film. Robinson did make a short appearance, but only via satellite.

Release

The film opened at number three with a weekend gross of $14 million in 2,754 theaters, averaging $5,091 per theater. ''Hot Tub Time Machine'' grossed $50.3 million in North America and $14.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $64.6 million against a budget of $36 million. ''Hot Tub Time Machine'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on June 1, 2010. An "unrated" version was also released, with the Blu-ray Disc containing a digital copy.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, ''Hot Tub Time Machine'' has an approval rating of 64% based on 212 reviews on the Tomatometer, a viewer score of 56% based on more than 10,000 reviews, and an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Its flagrantly silly scriptand immensely likable castmake up for most of its flaws." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a score of 63 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic

A. O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis. Early life Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...

stated:

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

gave the film three stars out of four:

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the film, officially titled ''Hot Tub Time Machine (Music From the Motion Picture)'', was released in 2010 by

Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...

. Several of the songs were sung by members of the film. :Some tracks have artists in parentheses; this is the artist who originally performed the song. # " Louder Than a Bomb" –

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

# " Perfect Way" – Scritti Politti # " The Safety Dance" (extended 12" EP remastered version) – Men Without Hats # " What You Need" (Single/LP version) –

INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farris ...

# "

Modern Love Modern Love may refer to: Film * ''Modern Love'' (1918 film), a silent film starring Mae Murray * ''Modern Love'' (1929 film), a part-talking film distributed by Universal Pictures * ''Modern Love'' (1990 film), a film by Robby Benson * ''Mod ...

" (Single version; 2002 digital remaster) –

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

# "

I Will Dare "I Will Dare" is a song by American alternative rock band The Replacements, written by Paul Westerberg. The song's pop stylings were a departure from the band's punk origins and its lyrics reflected the band's willingness to "dare to do anythin ...

" – The Replacements # " Push It" (album version) –

Salt-n-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, '' Hot ...

# "

Bring On the Dancing Horses "Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 14 October 1985. It was the only single from their 1985 compilation album '' Songs to Learn & Sing'', and was recorded for the John Hughes film ''Pretty in ...

" – Echo & the Bunnymen # " Save It for Later" – The Beat (known as The English Beat in the USA) # "

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

" –

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...

# " Jessie's Girl" (

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debu ...

) – Craig Robinson # "

Bizarre Love Triangle Bizarre may refer to: * Bizarre (rapper) (born 1976), an American rapper and member of hip hop group D12 * Bizarre (band), a Spanish rock band * ''Bizarre'' (TV series), a Canadian sketch comedy television series * ''Bizarre'' (magazine), a sist ...

" (Shep Pettibone 12" Remastered Remix) – New Order # " Once in a Lifetime" (2006 Remastered version) –

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

# " Home Sweet Home" –

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...

(also performed by Rob Corddry during the closing credits) # " Let's Get It Started" (

The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim H ...

) – Craig Robinson # "

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''hero ...

" - Enrique Iglesias ;Not included in the album The following songs were featured in the film, but not included in the soundtrack album: * " (I Just) Died in Your Arms" – Cutting Crew * "Dancing On A Volcano" –

Tamplin The Tamplin was an England, English automobile manufactured by Tamplin Motors from 1919 to 1923 in Kingston Road, Staines, Middlesex and from 1924 to 1925 in Malden Road, Cheam, Surrey. Edward Alfred Tamplin, a member of the Henry Tamplin, Su ...

* "Bar Bet" – Jake Monaco * "

Blind Man Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

" – Newton Talks * " Careless Whisper" (

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV Generation, MTV generation and is one of the List ...

) – Craig Robinson * " Cry Tough" – Poison * "

Cubicle A cubicle is a partially enclosed office workspace that is separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually tall. Its purpose is to isolate office workers and managers from the sights and noises of an open workspace so tha ...

" -The Ultra-Infidels * "Heaven's Sake" – Perfect * " I Can't Wait" – Nu Shooz * "

I Heard a Rumor "I Heard a Rumour" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, ''Wow!'' (1987). It was released on 29th June 1987, as the album's lead single. It was also featured in the 1987 comedy film ''Disorderlies'' and is i ...

" – Ghost Swami * " I Want to Know What Love Is" – Foreigner * "Keep Your Eye on the Money" – Mötley Crüe * "

Kickstart My Heart "Kickstart My Heart" is a song by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, originally released on their 1989 album, '' Dr. Feelgood''. Released as the album's second single in 1989, "Kickstart My Heart" reached #27 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

" – Mötley Crüe * "

My Block "My Block" (often referred to as "On My Block") is a 2002 song by American rapper Scarface, and was the lead single released from his seventh album, '' The Fix''. The song samples the piano intro from the 1971 Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway s ...

" – Cham Pain * "Mystery" – The Little Wands * "

Obsession Obsession may refer to: Psychology * Celebrity worship syndrome, obsessive addictive disorder to a celebrity's personal and professional life * Fixation (psychology), a persistent attachment to an object or idea * Idée fixe (psychology), a p ...

" – Animotion * "Occam's Razor" – Ocha la Rocha * "Patrolio" – Jake Monaco * "Skin I'm In" – Static Revenger featuring Luciana * "Smooth Up in Ya" – BulletBoys * " Talk Dirty to Me" – Poison * " The Stripper" – David Rose * " Turn Up the Radio" – Autograph * "

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

" – The Jerry Ross Symphosium * "Yes Man" – The Little Wands

Sequel

Although not a huge commercial success, strong home video sales prompted a sequel to ''Hot Tub Time Machine''. John Cusack did not return, and Adam Scott played his character's son. Although Cusack has stated on his Twitter account that he was not even asked to be a part of the sequel, he makes an uncredited cameo in the unrated home video release of the film. Released on February 20, 2015, the sequel was panned by critics and was a box-office failure, grossing less money in its entire theatrical run ($12.8 million) than the original made in its opening weekend ($14 million).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hot Tub Time Machine 2010s adventure comedy films 2010s science fiction comedy films American adventure comedy films American buddy films American science fiction comedy films American screwball comedy films Films about vacationing Films directed by Steve Pink Films produced by John Morris Films scored by Christophe Beck Films set in 1986 Films set in 2010 Films shot in California Films shot in Vancouver Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films about alcoholism American skiing films Films with screenplays by John Morris Films with screenplays by Sean Anders Films about time travel United Artists films Films set in the 1980s 2010 comedy films 2010 films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films