i find this family film to be pleasant and enjoyable even though i be not a child . it be base on the concept of a high school girl and susan ( elisha cuthbert ) discovering that the elevator in her upper class apartment build become a time machine when a key on a key chain she get from a blind scientist be turn in the elevator lock . she learn how to control the machine ( with some uncertainty about time of day ) . the film be not a work of serious science fiction . you have to ignore the usual instability paradox associate with alter the past through time travel and i. e and the past be change to prevent the 1881 walker family from become poor and but the change mean the family never get into financial trouble and so victoria wouldn not have tell susan about the financial problem her mother have and which mean that susan shouldn not have have a reason to change the past in the first place . but other than that and there be some nice touch in the story and such a the old elevator panel and find in the apartment of the woman who secretly invent and instal the time machine and not have a space for the lock that activate the time machine feature . a in many story for child and we need to also suppose that a child will not share startle information about a time travel device with a parent or other adult but instead hide the time traveler . it also require disregard some poorly stag scene and uninspired performance by some of the adult actor . ( the child actor ( elisha cuthbert and gabrielle boni and and matthew harbour ) all be very convince in their part . ) in one scene in the 1300s native american notice susan observing and photograph them . but they do not register surprise in the sudden appearance of this blond and white skin girl in peculiar dress . their response be to simply stop what they be do and to walk calmly towards susan . in the same scene an indian mother be carry what be suppose to be a baby but be so obviously a doll ( it white skin and it head flop around ) . timothy busfield and the award win actor who originally come to fame in tv old thirty something and give a somewhat uninteresting and sometimes listless and performance . in the other extreme michel perron ham it up a the italian building superintendent ( janitor ) and a do richard jutras in his role a a nosy neighbor . ( the neighbor name be edward ormondroyd and which be the name of the author of the novel the film be base on . ) i suspect that these problem may be the fault either of the director or possible of a low budget . despite these flaw and i recommend the movie for kid . in addition to the interesting story and it also have some educational value and in that it point out how much both technology and social norm have change in little more that 100 year .