Richard Curtis builds his time-tender romance like a scrapbook you’ve thumbed a hundred times: Cornwall mornings, London nights, awkward dates, and the music that stitches it all together. The soundtrack wasn’t just window dressing; it’s the film’s second heartbeat. Decca put it out in early September 2013, loading it with familiar names (The Cure, The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Nick Cave) and a freshly recorded “About Time” version of Ben Folds’ “The Luckiest,” plus score cues by Nick Laird-Clowes that glow like sodium lights after rain.

Official Trailer

About Time 2013 soundtrack lyrics, 2013 Trailer — About Time (2013) — Official Trailer thumbnail

Musical Styles & Themes

The album moves like late-night London: folk-tinted tenderness, soft-focus indie, a little cathedral hush, then a pub singalong you didn’t see coming. It swings from Paul Buchanan’s sighing “Mid Air” into the seaside calm of Groove Armada’s “At the River,” then straight into the open-armed ache of Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms.” Tucked among them, that Ben Folds piano confessional (newly re-cut) and a trad-folk cover of “How Long Will I Love You” (Boden/Sweeney/Coleman) that feels like vows whispered in a stairwell. The mix is sentimental, yes, but deliberately so—the movie is about noticing the ordinary while you still can.

Track Highlights & Scene Connections

“The Luckiest (About Time Version)” — Ben Folds

If you’ve ever tried pretending you weren’t crying on a train, this is the culprit. The re-recording is gentler round the edges, more hush than declaration; it frames the film’s thesis—love as accumulation, not fireworks.

The Luckiest lyrics, 2013 — Ben Folds — “The Luckiest (About Time Version)” thumbnail

“How Long Will I Love You” — Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney & Ben Coleman / Ellie Goulding (alt version)

Two paths to the same promise: the folk trio’s version feels candlelit and old-room wooden, while Ellie Goulding’s widely-shared video pushed the song into public swoon around release. Either way, it’s the sound of deciding.

How Long Will I Love You lyrics, 2013 — Ellie Goulding — “How Long Will I Love You” (official video thumbnail)

“Into My Arms” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Used at a key moment, this one walks into the room, removes its hat, and quietly rearranges your ribcage. Cave’s hymn-without-a-church underlines the film’s grief and gratitude in the same breath.

Into My Arms lyrics, 1997 — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — “Into My Arms” (official video thumbnail)

“Il Mondo” — Jimmy Fontana

The wedding in a storm—chaotic, drenched, unforgettable—spins on this Italian classic. It’s a wry joke and a worldview: the world keeps turning; the love keeps choosing.

“Friday I’m in Love” — The Cure

Because of course. A reminder that giddy, slightly silly joy belongs in grown-up lives too, preferably on a Friday with shoes still wet from the rain.

Score Threads — Nick Laird-Clowes

Minimal, close-to-the-skin cues (including the main theme and “Golborne Road”) that don’t elbow the dialogue. They behave like memory: present, but polite.

Production & Behind the Scenes

Curtis aimed for a “happiness in ordinary life” story and kept the time-travel effects muted so the human stakes stayed loud. The choice shows up in the music too—needle-drops that feel lived-in rather than flashy, and a score that refuses to grandstand.

Full Plot & Character Breakdown

Time travel, yes, but with a catch: Tim Lake learns the men in his family can step back to moments they’ve lived, not to change history, just to rewrite their own stumbles. In London he meets Mary, and the film gets to work showing how love actually looks when you keep making and fixing small mistakes. There’s a wedding in monsoon conditions, a sister rescued the hard way, and a father—funny, tender, mortal—who teaches Tim the trick of living days twice, then, bravely, once. By the end Tim chooses ordinary time, which turns out to be the only kind that matters.

Main Cast

Domhnall Gleeson — Tim Lake
Rachel McAdams — Mary
Bill Nighy — James (Tim’s father)
Lydia Wilson — Kit Kat
Tom Hollander — Harry
Margot Robbie — Charlotte

Supporting & Notables

Vanessa Kirby — Joanna
Richard Cordery — Uncle Desmond
Joshua McGuire — Rory
Will Merrick — Jay

Reception & Social Proof

The film’s reputation sits in that sweet middle: warmly received by audiences, mixed-to-positive with critics. It grossed roughly in the high-$80M range worldwide on a modest budget—very tidy for a romantic dramedy without superheroes.

“Soundtrack choices are at times painfully twee… Still, using Nick Cave’s immortal ‘Into My Arms’ in a key moment earns a pass.” Variety

“Curtis underscores his theme with a half-dozen love songs… plangent and irony-free.” Time

Release Info & Credits (Soundtrack)

Album: About Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Label: Decca (Universal)
Release date: 2013-09-03
Compiler/producer credits: Various artists; original score by Nick Laird-Clowes
Selected tracks: “The Luckiest (About Time Version)” (Ben Folds), “How Long Will I Love You” (Boden/Sweeney/Coleman), “Mid Air” (Paul Buchanan), “At the River” (Groove Armada), “Into My Arms” (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), “Friday I’m in Love” (The Cure)
UK charts: Soundtrack Albums Top 10 placement during release window

Why this soundtrack lands

Because it says the quiet part out loud. Not with grand swells, but with familiar songs you’ve already attached to moments you barely admit shaped you. It’s the mixtape equivalent of holding someone’s hand on the bus and deciding not to check your phone for once. Slightly messy, deeply human.

FAQ

Who composed the score for About Time?: Nick Laird-Clowes, whose cues (including the main theme and “Golborne Road”) keep the mood intimate and conversational.
Which song plays during the wedding scene?: “Il Mondo” by Jimmy Fontana—perfectly ironic, perfectly sincere.
Is Ben Folds’ “The Luckiest” a new version here?: Yes; he recorded a softer “About Time” version specifically aligned to the film.
Was Ellie Goulding’s “How Long Will I Love You” tied to the film?: Her video around release helped spotlight the song alongside the folk rendition on the album.
How did the film perform overall?: A solid worldwide total on a modest budget; the definition of a quiet hit that grows on rewatches.

September, 18th 2025

'About Time' is a 2013 British romantic comedy-drama film. Get more info: Wikipedia, Internet Movie Database

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