Time Chasers Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Time Chasers (1994). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
A physics teacher and amateur pilot Nick Miller, Matthew Bruch, finally turns the dream of time travel into a reality, coaxing a Commodore 64 and a small airplane into a working setup. Spurred by a flashy GenCorp TV commercial, he engineers a bold ruse to draw out a GenCorp executive and a local reporter, hoping to turn his breakthrough into a licensing deal. The reporter is Lisa Henson, Bonnie Pritchard, an old high school flame who rekindles forgotten memories as they test the limits of the device. A first jump to the year 2041 places Nick in front of GenCorp’s inner circle: Matthew Paul, Peter Harrington, a GenCorp executive who quickly arranges a meeting with the company’s enigmatic CEO J.K. Robertson, George Woodard. Impressed by the promise of freedom that time travel could offer GenCorp, Robertson lays out a licensing agreement that seems to align with Nick’s ambitions.
Over the next week, Nick and Lisa cross paths at a supermarket before embarking on a date that slips back to the 1950s, a playful detour that tests their bond and the machine’s reliability. Yet another journey to 2041 reveals a troubling truth: GenCorp has warped Nick’s invention into something that could reshape the future into a bleak, dystopian present. When Nick tries to warn J.K. about the looming catastrophe, he is met with cold skepticism; the CEO dismisses the risk, arguing there will always be time to address it later. J.K. views Nick as a potential threat to GenCorp, especially given the device’s ties to the U.S. Government, and he begins to treat the young inventor as treasonous. Undeterred, Nick and Lisa escape GenCorp’s reach and devote themselves to reversing the damage, racing against a clock that is increasingly running out of options.
The pursuit intensifies as J.K. devises a way to neutralize the threat: he and Matt attempt to shoot down Nick’s plane. In a traumatic sequence, Lisa is killed in the crossfire while Nick leaps clear, leaving the present tense splintered by grief and a decision to undo everything that led here. The story hurtles back and forth through time, culminating in a clash that lands in 1777 during the American Revolution. In this stark moment, the fates of Nick and Robertson collide—both die—and the time machine is destroyed before the original demonstration, ensuring that the bulk of the film’s events may never have occurred at all. The remaining Nick, now acutely aware of the danger his invention poses, sabotages his own demonstration and pivots to a sharp, practical pitch: a future ad campaign featuring an elderly skydiver for J.K.’s company, a move that triggers Matt’s firing. Nick also erases the crucial data that makes time travel possible, a decisive act to keep the timeline intact from further tampering.
In the aftermath, Nick confronts the paradox of his choices and, in a quiet, poignant closing scene, speaks with Lisa in the grocery store as he did in the earlier timeline, suggesting that some connections endure even when time itself is in flux. The film leaves a lingering question about what is gained when one tries to rewrite the past, and whether the stubborn pull of a shared memory can survive the dangers of a machine that reshapes reality.
Time Chasers Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Time Chasers (1994) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Time travel proven and recruitment begins
Nick completes his time travel capability using a Commodore 64 and a small airplane, marking the practical start of his experiments. He uses a ruse to summon a GenCorp executive and a reporter named Lisa Hansen, setting the stage for corporate interest and personal history.
2041: First direct GenCorp contact
Nick's first trip to 2041 brings him into GenCorp's orbit as executive Matthew Paul is impressed by the tech and arranges a meeting with CEO J.K. Robertson. The encounter foreshadows a licensing conversation and potential corporate backing for time travel.
Licensing discussion with J.K. Robertson
After the initial contact, Robertson sees the blockbuster potential and offers a licensing agreement for Nick's time travel tech. The moment cements GenCorp's stake in the project and raises the stakes for Nick and Lisa.
Supermarket meetup and date to the 1950s
The following week, Nick and Lisa meet at a local supermarket and plan a date that takes them to the 1950s. The excursion deepens their bond while illustrating the unstable promise of time travel. They return to present but aware of what could go wrong.
Second trip to 2041 reveals a dystopian future
Another journey to 2041 reveals that GenCorp has abused Nick's time travel tech, creating a dystopian future. Nick and Lisa realize the consequences of corporate greed and the fragility of the timelines. The discovery forces them to reconsider GenCorp's influence.
J.K. Robertson dismisses the warning
Nick attempts to warn Robertson about the looming ruin, but the CEO dismisses the possibility as exaggerated and claims there is time to deal with it later. The betrayal strengthens the perception of Nick as a threat to GenCorp and to the U.S. government connections. The stakes escalate quickly.
Escape and plan to reverse the damage
Nick and Lisa escape GenCorp's facilities and commit to undoing the damage caused by their time travel experiments. They begin work outside the corporation, seeking a path to restore any ruined timelines. The duo resolves to act before the tech falls back into the wrong hands.
Attack on Nick's plane; Lisa dies
In a confrontation, Robertson and Matt attempt to shoot down Nick's plane, killing Lisa in the process while Nick ejects from the doomed craft. The attack marks a turning point as personal loss intensifies Nick's mission. The chase ignites a sequence that spans multiple timelines.
1777 battle and the time-travel showdown
The pursuit crosses centuries and culminates in a fight on a 1777 battlefield during the American Revolution, where both Nick and Robertson are killed. The clash demonstrates how fragile the fabric of time has become due to GenCorp's meddling. The destruction of the time machine is set to erase the episode in the original demo.
Destruction of the time machine and timeline reset
With the device destroyed before the original demonstration, the bulk of Nick's earlier actions are erased, effectively preventing most of the film's events from becoming permanent history. The timeline reorders itself around a safer present. The consequences are felt across the repaired world.
Nick sabotages the demonstration
Back in the present, Nick deliberately sabotages his own demonstration to avoid future threats from time travel. He shifts his focus away from promotion and toward ensuring the tech cannot be misused again. It marks a terrible but necessary change in his approach.
Corporate fallout and data deletion
J.K. fires Matt after realizing he was misled by the company's plans. Nick deletes the data that makes time travel possible, removing the last evidence of a potential future. GenCorp's hold on the project collapses as a result.
Final supermarket meet with Lisa
In the film's ending, Nick shares a quiet moment with Lisa in the local supermarket, echoing their initial encounter in an alternate timeline. The moment offers a fragile sense of normalcy and a reminder of the timelines that could be rewritten. Nick's cautious future begins with this small, hopeful connection.
Time Chasers Characters
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Nick Miller (Matthew Bruch)
Nick Miller is a physics teacher and amateur pilot who builds a working time travel device using a Commodore 64 and his small airplane. He is driven by curiosity and a belief in progress, often pushing ahead with experiments and seeking licensing from GenCorp. His journey through multiple eras reveals his vulnerability to shortcuts and his capacity for self-sacrifice as he tries to avert catastrophe.
Lisa Henson (Bonnie Pritchard)
Lisa Henson is Nick's old high school flame and a reporter who travels with him through time. Her presence links personal history with the present and intensifies the stakes of their temporal exploits. Her fate becomes a turning point that pushes Nick to rethink his methods and goals.
Matthew Paul (Peter Harrington)
Matthew Paul is a GenCorp executive who arranges Nick's initial meeting with the company’s CEO. He represents corporate interest in licensing the time travel technology and embodies the push for rapid commercialization. His role highlights the tension between innovation and exploitation.
J.K. Robertson (George Woodard)
J.K. Robertson is GenCorp's CEO, a powerful figure who dismisses threats to the time-travel project and views Nick as a threat to corporate control. He pushes for the progression of the technology despite risks, and his confrontations with Nick drive much of the conflict.
Time Chasers Settings
Learn where and when Time Chasers (1994) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
2041, 1950s, 1777, present-day
The film moves through multiple eras driven by Nick's time travel device. Each jump exposes different social moods—an optimistic near-future, a nostalgic 1950s era, and the war-era 1777—before returning to the present. The shifts show how a single invention can ripple across centuries and alter personal destinies. The narrative culminates in a tense awareness of the dangers of temporal interference.
Location
United States, GenCorp facility, supermarket, 1777 battlefield
The action unfolds across the United States, from a GenCorp facility and high-tech labs in the near future to a suburban supermarket in the present day. It also visits a battlefield setting in 1777 during the American Revolution. These locations highlight the contrast between corporate ambition and everyday life, and provide the stage for time travel and conflict.
Time Chasers Themes
Discover the main themes in Time Chasers (1994). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Time Ethics
Time travel serves as a moral test for the characters. Nick's pursuit of control over the past clashes with the consequences felt in the present and future timelines. The narrative questions who should regulate dangerous technologies and whether beneficial outcomes justify risky interference. Lisa's fate and the near-fatal attempt at altering history underline the high stakes of temporal manipulation.
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Corporate Power
GenCorp's drive for licensing, profit, and dominance drives the plot. The company's willingness to manipulate time travel to gain leverage showcases corporate greed and the erosion of ethics. The antagonists' actions threaten civil order and personal safety, illustrating how corporate ambition can overshadow human consequences.
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Consequences & Sacrifice
The protagonists face tradeoffs between personal relationships and the greater good. Nick and Lisa must weigh the risks of changing history against their desire to protect the future. Sacrifices are demanded as the timeline destabilizes, culminating in the destruction of the time machine and the erasure of many events. The ending emphasizes restraint and responsibility when wielding powerful technology.
Time Chasers Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Time Chasers (1994). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a world where the promise of tomorrow hinges on the pulse of experimental science, Nick Miller is a physics teacher whose restless curiosity leads him to cobble together a functional time‑travel device using a vintage computer and his own aircraft. His invention, affectionately dubbed the Transport, is born from a genuine belief that humanity could solve its greatest problems by glimpsing—and perhaps nudging—its own past. The film opens with a blend of earnest ingenuity and the quiet awe of a man standing on the brink of a discovery that could rewrite history.
The setting balances the sleek, corporate sheen of a defense contractor’s research labs with the grounded, everyday reality of small‑town life. As news of Nick’s breakthrough spreads, powerful interests see the Transport not as a benevolent tool but as a strategic asset, hinting at a future where technology can be weaponized. The tone is a careful mix of hopeful wonder and simmering tension, underscored by the relentless ticking of a clock that seems to count both seconds and possibilities.
Amid the escalating stakes, an old flame reappears in the form of Lisa Henson, a determined reporter whose investigative spark reignites both professional curiosity and personal connection. Their interactions add a human heartbeat to the high‑concept premise, grounding the abstract dangers of temporal manipulation in the familiar push‑and‑pull of relationships that have survived time’s passage.
When the broader implications of the Transport become clear—a future that could descend into desolation if the technology falls into the wrong hands—Nick faces an impossible dilemma. He must confront the paradox of stopping himself from ever creating the device, setting the stage for a tense, introspective race against his own past. The film’s atmosphere hovers between speculative optimism and existential dread, inviting viewers to wonder how far one would go to protect a timeline that has yet to fully unfold.
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