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Media: Movie

Time period: 1990s, I think I saw it in 1999-2000 at the latest? There are no cell phones in this movie.

The plot: A guy who works at an airline ticket/service counter is quitting his job and getting ready to get on a flight to Brazil. He is gong with his girlfriend -- who it turns out is married. (She is running away with him).

I recall this whole frenetic scene at the start of the film where he is helping customers out to find their luggage and such (one involves a guy yelling at him that the skis he has are the wrong ones "These are Rossignol!" or something like it in the dialogue.

He has only a few hours before he has to get on his flight, and the movie is about the various obstacles he runs into. It's a comedy.

The protagonist bears a resemblance to Michael J Fox but I am pretty sure it isn't him. (I could be wrong about the actor)

Some plot points: there is a radio show doing a kind of puzzle where you have to give directions through a maze to win a cash prize. Our protagonist does this but can't give his name because he is hiding from someone at the time he makes the call.

The supposed GF is scamming him in some way, as I recall. She's married to this violent dude.

At the end of the movie he gets on his flight -- but it is to Beirut (he is on the wrong plane)

The theme song at the beginning is "Give Me Just A Little More Time" by the Chairmen of the Board, I attempted an IMDB search but couldn't figure out how to do that for the song.

The opening credits are this cartoon where a guy is on the hands of a clock.

Anyhow if anyone can help me out, that is much appreciated.

ETA: in response to comments, there is no indication of violence except hints, I think? I don't recall the protagonists' name, and the clock scene cartoon for the opening credits is very like Harold LLoyd. Film is in English.

ETA II: the film takes place starting at the airport, and then moves to other locations as the protagonist tries to go get his girlfriend. I remember it is almost all taking place at night; the point where he is doing the maze puzzle, for example, and on the phone (all while hiding from someone in a partially darkened house) is at night. One funny thing in the movie is that at the beginning they get into this whole thing how it's his last day on the job; he's quitting to go to Brazil with the GF.

I can rule out Fox as the lead; he never did anything like this. But I haven't been able to find anything that resembles it either to rule it out.

I saw the movie on cable TV, not in the theater. The old Cinemax.

Shoutout to Diego Carrion Robles for his answer!

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  • imdb.com/name/nm2323863 I can't see anything that looks like an obvious match
    – Valorum
    Commented Nov 23 at 22:47
  • 1
    You posted this exact question a year ago. I'm surprised that you've not been able to think of a single other piece of info; reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/18qqlfk/…
    – Valorum
    Commented Nov 23 at 22:49
  • For example, where did you see it (cinema, VHS, TV?), what was the main character's name? What was the female lead's name? What indicated that he villain was violent (e.g. do you see him hitting her?) What airport did he work in? What language did you see the film in? What do you mean by "on the hands of a clock", as in hanging down off them like Harold Lloyd?
    – Valorum
    Commented Nov 23 at 22:52
  • @Valorum see edits, and I wish I could recall more (I honestly thought the scenes I did recall would be helpful but... oh well.) I can't recall the character names, dang it. But the use of "Give me Just a Little More Time" was the thing I recalled the most, and when I tried to see what soundtracks it was in, no luck.
    – Jesse
    Commented Nov 23 at 23:35
  • @Valorum - also yeah I know I asked the same thing on Reddit I was hoping maybe a slightly different audience here might help.
    – Jesse
    Commented Nov 23 at 23:38

1 Answer 1

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I'm pretty sure that the movie in question is Nervous Ticks. It stars Bill Pullman, but it's true that Michael J. Fox could have played that role in his sleep. I think I remember this film because of its gimmick: it takes place in real time.

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  • Holy hell YES that is it!!
    – Jesse
    Commented Nov 28 at 17:57
  • And I had almost forgotten about the real time gimmick!
    – Jesse
    Commented Nov 28 at 18:01

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