The Jack Theory That Changes Everything About Titanic
James Cameron's "Titanic," first released in 1997, remains as popular as it was upon its premiere. The disaster epic spent 15 weeks at #1 on box office charts and launched the careers of its two stars, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
"Titanic" is based on the real life crash of the titular ship in 1912. It follows Jack Dawson (DiCaprio), a poor young man who wins a ticket while gambling for a place on the Titanic, which is sailing from Southampton, England to New York City. On the ship, he meets Rose DeWitt Bukater (Winslet), a wealthy young woman who feels trapped in her lifestyle and her forced engagement to an older man. The two quickly fall in love, just before the Titanic hits the iceberg in a crash that causes the ship to sink.
"Titanic" has sparked much discussion throughout the years, including widespread debate about the controversial ending. This isn't the only fan theory that has taken off over the last 24 years, though. One idea in particular gives the film an especially fascinating perspective.
Could Jack have been a time traveler?
A popular fan theory involving the possibility of Jack as a time traveler has become quite popular. The source of the theory comes from a Facebook user named Matt, which was shared on Reddit.
At the beginning of the film, we find out that Jack "doesn't have any currency in this time period," which leads him to gambling his way into earning a ticket. Further, there are a couple instances of Jack mentioning things that don't exist in 1912 yet. He mentions fishing in Lake Wissota, which wasn't built until 1917, and taking Rose on a roller coaster at Santa Monica Pier – this didn't exist before 1916.
Additionally, Jack's hairstyle doesn't line up with the time period, and he carries a backpack that didn't become common until the 1930s. The two style details are written about more extensively in a piece by 22Words, which specifies that the common men's hairstyle of 1912 was actually "close-cropped at the sides, with some length on top, but neatly slicked back," which is completely different than Jack's floppy look. The piece also points out that the filtered cigarettes Jack smokes didn't come out until the 1940s.
It's an intriguing theory, for sure. The original post speculates that Jack traveled back to stop Rose from killing herself, which would likely delay the ship and prevent its crashing into the iceberg, changing history. Further, this is why it's crucial he spend so much time with her and ensuring she doesn't try again. This brings up several questions: Was Rose not going to kill herself in the original timeline? How did Jack know he needed to stop Rose? Did Jack actually fall in love with Rose, or was it all just for show?
We may never know the definitive answer to all these questions, but we'll never let go of the possibilities.