The notion of timing plays a curious role in the making of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a story about a man who lives his life backward.

Not only is the film about the tenuous fragility of our time on Earth, told through the eyes of a keenly-observant Benjamin, played by Brad Pitt, but producer Frank Marshall and his creative team had to wait nearly 18 years for technology to catch up to make it work.

"Once we saw dinosaurs running in 'Jurassic Park,' we knew it would happen," he said. That was in 1993, but what was needed in "Button" was an even more subtle approach.

The film opens nationally on Christmas Day. It has been a labor of love for Marshall and his wife and business partner, Kathleen Kennedy. The Hollywood power couple will be in Boise next week for a "Benjamin Button" premiere, which will benefit Boise Contemporary Theater.

Marshall and Kennedy have between them produced some of the biggest blockbusters on record, including the "Indiana Jones" films, "E.T.," and "Jurassic Park." Marshall has brought his three "Bourne" films, star Matt Damon, "Seabiscuit" and jockey Gary Stevens to Boise to benefit Boise Contemporary Theater.

"It's really a movie about time. It doesn't matter if you're going forwards or backwards; it's what you do with that time," Marshall said.

You'll have a chance to meet Marshall at a post-screening discussion and early morning breakfast Wednesday, where he will talk about his 18-year project.

"One of the big problems is that no one wanted to have five different actors play Benjamin and Daisy at different ages," he said.

Director David Fincher ("Se7en" and "Fight Club") figured it out, Marshall said.

Using a mix of conventional and digital makeup, Fincher put Pitt's performance on other actor's bodies.

"So, when he's 85, there is actually an 85-year-old actor playing that part and then Brad's acting is superimposed on the character," Marshall said.

Pitt's performance is getting rave reviews so far.

"Brad has this power on the screen you can't escape. When you see him when he's 20 it's amazing," Marshall said. "He doesn't overdo it. He never gets over the top unless the character calls for it, like in 'Burn After Reading.' When you see him in that and then see him in this, you realize he has a lot of range."

The film is based on a short story of the same title by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in Baltimore, it offers a cynical view of life and parenthood, as Benjamin is raised by his parents, who have nothing but disdain for him.

This script by Eric Roth, who won the 1994 screenwriting Oscar for "Forrest Gump," sets the tale in New Orleans.

Button's parents leave the wizened babe at an old folks home, where he is raised around people at the end of their lives. When Benjamin and Daisy, (Blanchett) who are on opposite timelines, are finally the same age, their time together is ephemeral.

"We are a product of opportunities and missed opportunities," Marshall said. "For this movie, the emotional moment's different for everyone, depending on where they are in their lives. David doesn't get sentimental. He cuts right to the raw emotion."