How It All Goes Down
Get Me to the Chapel on Time
- Saturday, October 23, 1993 (Henry is 30, Clare is 22): The day of the wedding, Henry wakes up early, tense. He prays to God: "Let me get through our wedding day as best as I can, with no special effects. Deliver Clare from unpleasant scenes. Amen" (1.10.1).
- Clare wakes up, reflecting on the nightmare she had: she was a mermaid and therefore couldn't get married to Henry.
- Henry's nerves "crackle like static in a phone line" (1.14.5). He decides to go for a run in the pouring rain while Clare fears that Janice, the stylist her mother hired for the occasion, will do something hideous to her face and hair. When Henry returns from his run, they secretly make love. "We do everything out of order, don't we?" Clare jokes.
- Clare bribes Janice to do her hair the way she wants it. Henry is putting on his tux when he suddenly finds himself as his 38-year-old version, walking down Highway 12, and two miles south of Clare's hometown. At a gas station, he sees today's paper and realizes it's his wedding day. He starts running.
- Clare is dressed and ready, surrounded by her bridesmaids. Henry's back in his quarters with Gomez. Gomez seems to be very nervous as well. Henry hears a noise outside and sees his 38-year-old self, dirty and wet and in the bushes, giving him the thumbs up.
- Once Henry walks down the aisle where he'll stand with Clare, she sees that it's not present Henry, but his older version, dirty and unshaven. But who cares, "he's here" and she gives him a triumphant smile.
- Sunday, June 13, 1976 (Henry is 30): Present Henry finds himself in his old bedroom. Frustrated by the fact that he's missing his own wedding, he helps himself to a few of his dad's beers.
- Saturday, October 23, 1993 (Clare is 22, Henry is 38, and 30): Clare and 38-year-old Henry stand at the altar, saying their vows and exchanging rings. During the reception, Henry enlists Ben to smuggle his younger self, now waiting in the vestibule in church, into the men's room and bring him his tux once he's popped back into the future. Present Henry returns when everyone's already sitting at dinner.
- Gomez makes a toast to the happy couple and concludes it with kissing Clare on the mouth. Ben later asks Henry about Gomez's behavior, but Henry doesn't seem to understand his concern.
- Monday, October 25, 1993 (Henry is 30, Clare is 22): Henry and Clare tie the knot officially with the state in front of a judge at City Hall. Gomez and Charisse serve as witnesses. Gomez acts disgruntled.