Timeline is a 2003 historical science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Donner and starring Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly, David Thewlis, and Anna Friel.

Based on Michael Crichton's 1999 novel of the same name, the screenplay concerns a team of present-day archaeology and history students who are sent back in time to medieval France to rescue their professor from the middle of a battle.

[4] Professor Edward Johnston leads an archaeological study Castlegard, a village near La Roque Castle in Dordogne, France and the site of the 1357 hanging of Lady Claire, sister to Arnaut de Cervole.

While excavating a nearby monastery, Johnston's team finds a sarcophagus containing the remains of a French knight with a lopped ear, holding the hand of his lady, an unheard-of practice for the time.

On arrival in 1357, the team finds itself in the path of a young woman chased by English knights; the security men are killed while protecting the group, although one activates his marker after priming a grenade.

At the monastery, Marek, Kate, and Chris meet de Cervole and realize that the woman is Lady Claire; they have changed history by saving her.

Kate and Chris help to swing the upcoming battle in the French's favor by leading de Cervole's men through the monastery tunnels they had previously mapped to the castle.

Later, the team returns to the Castlegard ruins, re-examines the sarcophagus, and finds that Marek and Lady Claire lived together after the war and had three children: Christophe, Katherine, and François.

[8] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade C+ on a scale of A to F.[9] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter called it "Glorious so-bad-it's-good entertainment.

[11] Robert Koehler of Variety wrote: "Lacks the consistent tone, pace and point of view for either a science fiction thriller or medieval war adventure.