The Doubtful Doctor story
One stressful day, Ralph Jones argues with his wife, Lucille, and then mysteriously travels two years back in time, to when he was still a bachelor. Ralph finds Lucille, but what should have been their first date is a disaster. Broken-hearted, Ralph jumps into the river and wakes up back in his regular "present". Later, Ralph's psychiatrist tells him that the episode was just a dream, but Ralph has a set of baseball cards that he brought back from his travel. Directed by: Arthur Hiller. Story by: Louis Paul, Jerry Sohl.
18 total · 7 major · 11 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| husband and wife | major | Ralph didn't appreciate how good life was together with his wife, Lucille, until he mysteriously traveled back in time to his bachelor days. |
| lovers' quarrel | major | The story hinges on a lover's quarrel between Ralph and Lucille. |
| second guessing one's self | major | The rigors of family life made Ralph second guess his decision to marry Lucille and have a child together. |
| seeing the error of one's ways | major | After a distressing period in the past Ralph realized that he ought to be nice to his wife and not regret their marriage - Lucille noted that he seemed to have a guilty conscience. |
| time travel | major | Ralph mysteriously traveled two years or so back in time. |
| what if I found myself in the past | major | Ralph mysteriously traveled two years or so back in time. |
| what if someone couldn't remember me anymore | major | Ralph seemed upset that past Lucille (and other past people) didn't remember him from their future. |
| be wary of strangers | minor | The boy Sidney refused to take a wad of cash from Ralph, saying that his mother told him "never to take nothing from strangers". |
| coping with a loved one being in peril | minor | Ralph was concerned because his baby might have swallowed a button. |
| doctor and patient | minor | The story was framed in a discussion between Ralph and his shrink. |