occasional musings on Disney’s accidental masterpiece
The last few times I’ve indulged in National Treasure, I’ve noticed something that I can’t seem to let go of, and that is the timeline in which the adventure takes place.
Fear not Treasure lovers! This isn’t a list of implausibilities or plot holes—I have very little interest in that.
No, what’s captured my attention—and perhaps this is my now-aging millennial bones talking—is how goddamn exhausted the three of them must be.
Let’s review the timeline.
Ben and Riley survive the explosion of the Charlotte, hitchhike back to DC, and start meeting with agencies trying to get their attention on the Declaration theft. There is no concrete indication of how long it took them to get back and set up the meetings, but given that Abigail says “You told my assistant that this was an urgent matter?” we can infer that at least the meeting at the Archives was made on short notice. The implication in her words and tone is that she made time in her schedule to see them (and now Ben is wasting her time talking about buttons).
So already Ben and Riley must be exhausted. They may not have had any longer than the plane ride home to rest and recover from Ian’s betrayal and their near-death escape. Even if these meetings are happening over several days, the way the film is cut, combined with the urgency with which Ben perceives the threat, suggests that they waited as little time as possible before jumping into this. It has been only days since the Charlotte.
We have more concrete information about the timeline of the week leading up to the adventure. Ben notices the brochure for the National Archives 70th Anniversary Gala.
SIDEBAR: The 70th Anniversary of the National Archives really was in 2004. The organization was founded on June 19th, 1934. June 19th 2004 was a Saturday, so it’s conceivable that the Gala was meant to be that weekend. However, based on all the characters’ clothing, I’ve always felt like National Treasure was a fall movie.
At the Library of Congress Ben says, “the best time for us or Ian to steal it would be during the gala this weekend.”
If it had currently been the previous Sunday or earlier, it would have made more sense for him to say said “next weekend.” That means that if we generously presume the meeting with Abigail at the National Archives was on Monday, they had four and a half days to plan the heist.
The implication of the editing is that the meeting at the Archives, Ben’s Big Decision™ on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and Riley’s doomed attempt to talk some sense into Ben at the Library of Congress all take place on the same day. If the library was the next day, they had even less time.
As mentioned above, the actual 70th anniversary of the National Archives was on a Saturday. I personally interpret the Gala to be taking place on a Friday. This could be the Friday before, June 18th 2004, or a Friday later in the fall. After all the Gala doesn’t necessarily have to be on the anniversary weekend itself—the anniversary could simply be the theme.
It’s unclear how frequent these type of fundraising parties are at the Archives, but my assumption is at least once a year. That’s the time frame over which they would be counting donations for budgeting and tax purposes. Also, Abigail does not seem particularly concerned or excited about the gala, which suggests this isn’t the first one she’s had to go to. Actually, she seems rather bored.
The reason I suggest the gala is on a Friday night is because Abigail is at work, and Ben and Riley knew that she would be. The plan to send her the George Washington campaign button at the Archives (rather than her home) then set off the detector so she has to respond to the situation (typing in her password in the process) only works if she’s there.
While the National Archives museum is open every day (10am - 5:30pm daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas), the research rooms in the Archives are only open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday and by appointment only. This, along with the general status and prestige of Abigail’s position—a private office, an assistant, critical duties related to the care and preservation of some of America’s most precious documents—suggests that her working hours are likely Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
SIDEBAR: Did you know that in earlier drafts of the script, Abigail’s position had an official title that was reference several times in dialogue? It was something like Conservator of the Declaration of Independence (I don’t want to go back to find that script now, because it was so terrible I had to get drunk last time I read it.)
So. It’s Friday night. No time is visible on the brief image we see of the brochure, but let’s posit that the gala is potentially taking place somewhere between 7-11pm.
It’s already dark when Ben arrives. Sunset on June 18th, 2004 was at 8:36pm in Washington DC, so that gets us to potentially 9-11.
However, that seems like a late start, especially considering this gala’s attendees are probably mainly older, wealthy donors. In September, sunset would have been closer to 7pm. I still think it’s fall. All we know for certain is that the story had to take place before October 31, as that was the last day of daylight savings time in 2004.
There are definitely cocktail tables set up in the background, and obviously champagne is being passed around. It’s unclear whether there was (or was supposed to be) a dinner component or only appetizers. (There are multiple members of the catering waitstaff visible in Sadusky’s address to the crowd. Presumably there are at least finger foods available.)
There also may or may not be a fundraising component—a silent auction or similar activity.
So let’s think about Abigail.
She’s worked a full week, dealt with at least one weird meeting, and at least one archival emergency. Depending on what time the gala is and what time she got done with her work, Abigail either went home, got changed, and came back for the gala, or, if she found herself working late due to the gala and/or a heist-created emergency, she might have changed in her office. In either case, her chance to rest was minimal to non-existent.
The boys have spent the week planning a high-stakes heist. They devised their plan, built and tested any components they needed to (the concealed laser, the uv visible powder, the forged ID badge, etc), broke into the subway, prepared the clean room environment in the van, etc. etc. etc. I doubt either of them slept well the night before the heist, if at all.
Abigail is coming to the gala after a full workday at the end of a busy work week.
Ben and Riley have done an unknown amount of hours worth or work putting the heist together, and potentially not been sleeping well in the meantime. It is plausible that one or both of them have already been more or less awake for 24 hours.
And that’s obviously just the beginning.
