The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012) User Reviews

Very mushy and fun

[lagudafuad · 6/10 · 8 October 2012]

Although this movie is not much of a box office success, due to the heavy load of drama, sensitivity and all the mushy-mushy stuff, I still say it is nice to see things go well sometimes, makes you feel that the world is not that bad.

Walt Disney still brings a little magic into our lives trying to make you feel the world is not that much of a sad place. Peter Hedges the director and co-writer of the film did a nice job with this movie, which doesn't have lots of special effects but delivers the hallmark family fun that Disney is known for, Peter finds a way to draw your sensitivity out and make you develop an emotional attachment to the characters from the movies first scene of parents struggling to have a child to when a naked kid shows up and then all the way till the end.

The odd life of Timothy green is about a couple Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who couldn't have children. The couple has done all they can to get pregnant but all to no avail, so they began to dream about what their child would be like, they wrote down all they wished he would be, achieve and become, placed it in a box and buried it in the backyard.

One stormy night young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep and calls them mum and dad.

CJ Adams was exceptional in his task as Timothy Green, child actors seem to have a difficult role sometimes when they have to convince you, but CJ did a good job and I was impressed by his acting.

As Adams plays young Timothy who sees life differently; hey! He has leaves growing on his ankles, he likes to spread his hands in the sunlight, he is naïve and truthful to a fault.

The movie's story had some loops here and there, but it was fun to see how things planned to turn out, although some can boast that the movie was a little predictable but it was also lovable. I won't burst the kids from school to go see this movie, but if you do catch it on TV gather the family around for a fun time.

There is something odd about this movie, indeed.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 16 September 2012]

Something is missing from this movie. By all means, this should had been a great, entertaining and heartfelt, modern fairy tale, for the whole family to enjoy but the movie handles certain themes poorly and make some odd choices with its story at times.

And honestly, I still foremost really liked the movie. It's harmless and cute enough still and the movie has its moments. But that doesn't take away anything from the fact that this movie still is being a bit of a missed opportunity.

All of the right intentions were there, it just didn't always worked out successfully. The approach they were going for was a heartfelt family movie, in which a mysterious young boy brings people together and changes their lives for the positive. It just happen to do it all in a wrong way, for most of the time. First of all; it does far too little with its mystery/fantasy aspects. They accept the boy for who he is and where he came from pretty early on- and easily. Besides, it all seems like the boy is doing very little special actually, as if the movie was afraid it would loose some of its viewers if it was going to be more heavy on its fantasy aspects.

That perhaps was the movie its biggest problem; it wasn't heavy on its fantasy. The movie rather picks some uninteresting plot developments instead. It prefers to be about pencils, as opposed to something more heartfelt or bigger than life. It seems like the movie still wanted to be about morals and wanted to teach you about life but it mostly does so by inserting stereotypical characters and some forced or formulaic dramatic moments. It's not as warm and emotional involving as this movie required to be, in order for it to let it all work out.

I am also still a bit confused about it who this movie was aimed for. It seems to be a bit too slow and uninteresting for young children and not convincing enough for adults. It's a bit in between of being an entertaining children's movie and a modern fairy tale for adults. I did wished they had balanced certain things out a bit better, so the movie would had been better and more fun to watch for both adults and youngsters.

The movie is still being fine as it is. I mean, all the things I had problems with didn't ruined the movie for me in any way and I could certainly still enjoy and appreciate it for what it was. It's cuteness factor and innocence still make this a recommendable film. Just don't expect to be very taken- or blown away by any of it.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

This review makes me feel like an old curmudgeon

[somf · 7/10 · 14 August 2012]

I like Peter Hedges' other films. I wish I could have liked this more. Its' heart and message are so in the right place, but it plays like a schmaltzy movie of the week. Jennifer Garner, whom I have really enjoyed in other roles, overplays this one and is very disappointing. The kid who plays Timothy is good enough. His young female friend Odeya Rush is the best in the cast. Joel Edgerton is perfect for Lifetime movie of the week. They are all really likable. So I just wished I liked the film more. And the message is terrific. I cry in schmaltzy films but I think it says much about this film in that the only time it brought any tears was in the final scene which was grounded in reality. When the fantasy was going I just wasn't sucked in.

7 may be a generous rating, but this is a solid family film with a strong positive message. There is a big audience out there for this film. I don't really want to discourage them from seeing it.

Very, very underrated.

[jabaligian · 20 August 2012]

When I first saw the previews for this film, I was on the fence about seeing it. To me, it looked like it could be a pretty good movie, or an absolute train wreck. Then I read the reviews, which weren't very good, and I was less sure about seeing it. A few days ago, I saw it out of boredom at a cheap movie theater. As I began to watch the film, I realized that the movie was very uplifting and emotional, with lots of other feelings. I can admit, I cried during the film and I think everyone else in the theater did too. This movie wasn't all perfect though. It was very predictable, and when something happened in the middle of the film, I could basically tell how it would end. All in all, I walked out of the theater feeling good, and I hope to see it again soon.

A word of advice, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE REVIEWS OF THIS MOVIE. The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a great family movie to see, and it really gives you that warm feeling when you leave the theater.

An odd film for an off day?

[winzentween · 7/10 · 21 November 2012]

The film made me feel good and it made me laugh and there was some nice performances and a wonderful idea which they failed to develop and instead took the easy route with lazy writing and simplistic direction.

There were points where I was so invested in the story that I became angry and shouted at the screen for such obvious plot holes and dumb writing. As a fan of the director I thought he failed to bring his A game to this project and basically sold out on dealing with the more difficult questions which would inevitably arise from the complicated subject of child rearing and adoption and relationships etc. The film instead choose to be a whimsical fairy tale employing obvious tracts to jerk a tear from you.

The film could have been so much more if it did not seem so rushed to ultimately go no where leaving so many unexplained and problematic questions which were simply glossed over for convenience but left my brain hurting.

This is a prefect example of a film which falls in between the user rating system. I awarded this film a reluctant 7 (good) but I wanted to give it a perfect 6.5 (above average) though I thought it deserved more than an average 6 which I have awarded to films I describe as OK or passable but once we get to 5 it is a lost cause.

I only awarded it a higher mark than it deserved because by the end it is a feel good film with some bitter sweet old school narrative but at times it felt like it was written by a ten year old boy but a talented one 'who rocks, shoots the winning goal and has his mothers heart'.

A good feel movie for the whole Family.

[stefaniecreech · 7/10 · 16 August 2012]

I was able to see this movie on a rare night out with my children, ages 13,11,9,7,and 6. It's hard to find a movie that the whole family could enjoy but ALL of them didn't move the whole time. Not one asked to use the restroom, how much longer and what was happening. For any parent you know that it is a HUGE plus!

As for the movie itself, it is by far NOT the best movie around. However, when you can walk away from a movie and reflect on how it relates to your own life then you have a winner.

I am not sure if those without children could appreciate this movie. If you have children and can't appreciate it then there is something amiss in your life.

Great Mystical Adventure! 6/10

[leonblackwood · 6/10 · 4 August 2013]

Review: I thought that this was quite an emotional and mystical movie with great acting by the cast, especially the little boy who was really convincing in his role. The film has a real Disney feel to it, with the whole feel good factor along with being a right tear jerker. You really grow to care about the family and there emotional turmoil. The storyline was well put together by the director, but it does seem to move at a slow pace. In all, I think there is something for everyone in this film and you can't help but feel a bit tears, although the storyline is prettY far fetched. Watchable!

Round-Up: For an Australian actor, Joel Edgerton is really starting to get some versatile roles such as The Thing, The Warrior and even a part in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. I'm not a big fan of Jennifer Garner, but she was perfect picked for this role. The kid is the character that really shines in this movie and I wouldn't be surprised if we see him on screen more after his part in this movie. It was a bit strange to see Common in a movie like this and its always good to see David Morse who has stopped acting as much as he did. I just hope that people get to see this mysterious tale which will touch your heart.

Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $52million

I recommend this movie to people who are into there mystical, mysterious drama movies about a couple trying to have a child. 6/10

Well this was a nice feel-good movie

[peterp-450-298716 · 7/10 · 6 May 2014]

Ouch Walt Disney ... and yes I immediately had a feeling that this would be a pedantic family movie with a whopper of a moral. An enormous tearjerker which will give me a flashback of 40 years ago with my sniffing sisters on a pouffe staring at a similar funeral mood movie.

But to be honest ... this film charmed me in a subtle way. The beautiful environment in which it all happened, the woods and the swirling leaves, the typical local farming village with a dying pencil factory and Pencil Museum, the social ties between the people, the snobbish irritating family and the chilly in-an-ivory-tower-living manager. This along with the lovely-looking Timothy who is super cuddly with his twinkling eyes and who appears in the lives of Cindy and Jim, a childless couple that while enjoying a glass of wine in the evening make a list of the ideal son, put it in a cigar box and plant it between the vegetables. From there, you know step by step what's going to happen, what's expected and what's the outcome ... but for once I didn't care, because I enjoyed it.

A family movie that surely deserves a place in the gallery of "The better family movies ever". A smile, a tear and a sad but ultimately happy ending.

Well, the advantage of getting older is that you also can appreciate such movies.

The best and most funny moment was the prediction that Timothy, as a abominably bad soccer-player, would score the winning goal, came true ... except on the wrong side.

More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/

Great, great movie!

[keilanil · 10/10 · 23 July 2012]

What a wonderful movie! Because you can read the summary, I will just tell you our reaction to it. We were lucky enough to receive tickets to a pre-release screening of this moving. We took the whole family, 5 boys ages 5-16, and my husband and myself. Everyone loved it. Even the 5 year old, and that is no small thing. This movie will make you laugh and cry and then laugh again. And the laughing moments range from chuckles to totally surprise you as they burst out of your chest howls out loud.

Though we have our boys, we are waiting to adopt a girl, so the theme of parents who want a child that they can't seem to have, and the theme of taking in a child that you didn't give birth to and/or adoption really hit home for us. I sat at the end of the movie and cried, and they were tears of laughter and sadness and hope all mixed up together. Even if you're not interested in adoption, this is really a touching show.

I wish Disney made more movies like this. Totally clean, nothing even remotely possibly offensive, and yet it wasn't just a kid show. It was interesting, engaging, witty. As noted above - good for everyone from ages 5 to 40!

A true family movie, and it's good

[cashman1955 · 7/10 · 26 August 2012]

I saw this today and really enjoyed it. The little boy who plays Timothy nails it; a 'slightly too perfect' kid where something is just not right.

Garner is a delight as his mother, whereas his 'father' falls a little flat for me. His girl friend is a charmer and his uncle Budd is wonderful. The photography is beautiful, and the music appropriate.

I wish they'd fleshed out his character and his relationship with his parents and girl friend instead of spending so much time on 2 subplots: one is about Timothy's father and HIS father, which leads to an endless sub sub plot about soccer, the most boring activity ever devised by man. The other subplot involves Jennifer Garner's sister, who played Rachel in Rachel Getting Married, which will go down in history as the soccer of motion pictures.

A good date movie, a good couples movie and a good family movie.

So Sugary Sweet I Got a Cavity Watching It

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 18 December 2012]

This Disney fantasy is way too sugary sweet and predictable for my tastes. It stars Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, and C J Adams, as Timothy.

Garner and Edgerton are a married couple living in the small town of Stanleyville. The town is idyllically beautiful and it has as its' main enterprise a local pencil factory. The factory has been owned for generations by the Crudstaff family.However, due to the economic times the factory is in danger of closing.

Edgerton works at the factory while Garner is employed at the Crudstaff House and Pencil Museum as a guide.

The film is told in flashbacks as the couple are being interviewed to be adoptive parents. They are relating their magical experiences with Timothy Green to the counselors.

Having been told by their fertility doctor that they cannot have children, they decide that night to write down all the wonderful qualities they would have liked their child to have. They put the papers in a metal box and bury it in the backyard. During the night, a huge rainstorm hits and suddenly a young boy--Timothy--magically appears in their home.

Guess what? He possesses all the characteristics that they had written down and will follow the path that they had envisioned for him. However, there's one big caveat. He has leaves attached to his legs and in time as the leaves are shed one by one you can guess what will be the end result.

I'm puzzled why the makers of the film decided to make many of the supporting cast such unlikeable characters. Garner's sister, portrayed by Rosemarie DeWitt is self-centered and fairly obnoxious while Edgerton's father, played by the wonderful actor Robert Morse, is basically a macho bully. Also, pretty much the entire Crudstaff family (Dianne Wiest and Ron Livingston in particular) are quite mean-spirited.

Not all the supporting characters are unlikeable. Odeya Rush plays a young girl who befriends Timothy when no one else will. She shows him what is apparently a large red birthmark on her shoulder, which has caused her to be kind of an outcast as well.

All in all, this film may appeal to youngsters, who will ignore the schmaltz, a lot more than it appealed to me. Also, possibly to adults who like these type of complete sweet fantasies.

Great Film

[bunabonfrankz · 9/10 · 19 August 2012]

If you remember the good old days when the story was in the forefront and people dedicated months and years into character development then yes this film is for you. With the way Hollywood has become a sci-fi shoot em slash em industry films with heart and simplistic storytelling get lost in the fray but are very necessary. It starts out slow and on the nose but once timothy shows up the film shines. You find yourself engulfed into the couples life and not wanting the show to end. When you feel like you know the story and the characters then that means you watched a great film. As film makers and critics and people with the option to voice that instantly its very easy to forget that hey the reason you arnt rushing to see the film or tell people about it is because they did their job so well you felt like you knew them. It is easy to see a film and break down cuts, and fades and length of scenes but this film was one of those ones where you didn't care if it was formulaic at parts or if it was too heartfelt and sappy in others. It was such a joy that simple and deep character development still happens and its an artform I hope we never lose.

A Nice Family Film

[sign543-6-320217 · 6/10 · 18 August 2012]

I'm a big fan of magical films that touch you deeply like...E.T., The Never Ending Story, Free Willy, Matilda, The Wizard of Oz, etc...and while this film was somewhat magical, I can't categorize it with the former list. It just missed something...extra special. It did have the potential for what I am describing, as probably anyone who saw the advance trailer last year might have anticipated...a couple who yearns for a child...suddenly one magically appears, from all places...the garden, where they've planted a sort-of wish list...the premise had endless possibilities! Where it doesn't fully meet the expectation, however, is...Timothy Green didn't, in my opinion, seem to have a real purpose for being there. Perhaps it was to mend the relationship between the husband and his father? That did happen, but I don't understand why Timothy was needed for that to take place. Somehow the grandfather had a change of heart near the end of the film, but it is not clear what made him have that change of heart. To turn the heart of the grumpy old Museum curator? That happened, too, but, again, I don't see why Timothy's presence made that possible. In fact, I don't remember a part in the film where she and Timothy had an exchange that would have somehow changed her.

It was clear from the beginning that the husband and wife would make good parents for a child, a little weird and neurotic though they were, and Timothy's presence in their life didn't seem to make that any more clear, so that couldn't have been the purpose.

Perhaps it was to save the rapidly-sinking pencil factory with the invention of the new kind of pencil...which was made by the husband and wife with the encouragement of Timothy, but that side story seemed out of place and didn't ring true at all to me. A magical kid wasn't necessary for that to take place.

Oh, and the presence of the character of the mean factory foreman also didn't seem to have a purpose in the film. He didn't drive the plot in any sort of way that I could detect. The only thing that stood out for me about him is he's the same actor who played the lead in the subculture classic, "Office Space".

I enjoyed the film because Timothy was a delightful kid with a cute face and a wide-eyed innocence and because he befriended the odd-girl-out who also had a beautiful face, but a homely red birthmark on her right shoulder that was an obvious source of shame for her. There was no apparent reason for this friendship between the two, but they did construct a wonderful little "world" out of fallen leaves in the woods that was enchanting and made the mom start to like the girl, for some reason.

This film will appeal to children and it does have enough charm to not fall completely flat. I won't give away the ending, but it was sad and will make some people cry, but it also has a happy element...and was something that was obviously going to happen from the beginning.

NOT for kids - cliché ending

[dbh850 · 1/10 · 6 December 2012]

How many films have this ending? Seriously - it was cliché. You have a magically unusual kid? Okay... let's see what to do... oh, I know! Let's KILL HIM in the end! Oh, that'll really get to the audience. Great idea!

I'm sorry, but that's cliché. We have enough films with really special kids who die. Off the top of my head:

My Girl Pay it Forward Bridge to Terabithia Simon Birch

There are more, but I can't recall the names. Why does a happy ending mean something is "predictable" or profound in some way. THIS ending was ENTIRELY predictable. Of COURSE they'll kill the kid in the movie. We figured that in the first few minutes that the boy was on screen.

How about having him live and be special - AND adopt the little girl at the end? Why couldn't they do that? This film is very upsetting to children - and it ticked us off. For us, the film could have been fantastic... but they had a predictable, cliché ending. Kill the magically special kid.

I do not recommend this film.

Great Film with Laughs and Tears

[Michael_Elliott · 27 August 2012]

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play a married couple who learn they can't have children. After a good cry the two decide to make notes of the type of kid they'd like to have and that night they bury it in the garden and sure enough they wish comes true. It's really a shame that so many people have decided not to give this film any attention but I guess I can understand why. People see Disney and I guess they expect children movies and while there's nothing in this film that would be too harmful for kids, I think the target audience is going to be grown ups. THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN is a cute, charming, funny and at times incredibly sad film that has a lot of imagination working for it. If you need to have everything explained to you or if you must know how logically a kid can grow from a garden then it's probably best just to skip the film. The story itself is clearly meant to inspire people and touch them and I think it does a remarkable job at that. I thought the film was a lot of fun for a number of reasons including seeing two people get their wish of having a child and then having to deal with everything that comes with it. Since Timothy is a special child this adds more problems but I really loved how everyone in this small town and family connected to the kid. Be it the parents, the sports coach, the other kids or the family members. Both Garner and Edgerton do terrific jobs in the roles of the parents and CJ Adams is extremely good as the young boy. The supporting cast includes nice performances from M Emmet Walsh, Lois Smith, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dianne Wiest and it was great seeing David Morse playing the grandfather. The film certainly has a lot of messages but I found it as a parent just to be incredibly sweet, good natured and yes it was incredibly sad at parts. This is certainly a film that uses its imagination to make you smile and cry but there's certainly nothing wrong with that.

Family fable

[Laakbaar · 6/10 · 23 December 2013]

Cindy and Jim desperately want a child. After a strange supernatural miracle occurs, they get one. However, it's not exactly the child they wanted. First of all, he's already ten years old. Secondly, he seems to be an earth/plant kid with leaves oddly growing out of his legs. Soon they discover that he's almost an ordinary boy. He has some unusual qualities, some wonderful, some strange.

I have to admit at the outset that I enjoyed this fantasy and was moved by it. I wanted to see where it would go. I thought CJ Abrams was well cast and did a good acting job.

On the other hand, I had some problems with the plot, writing and acting. I can accept the lack of realism, but some of it felt too contrived and emotionally manipulative.

Why did his leaves die? Because he was growing up? Because he was helping people? Because he was fulfilling the wishes of his parents (and thus not being his true self)? I don't know. The leaves represented something...but what?

In the end, I'm not sure what the point of the movie was. Accept your kids for the way they are? Was that it? I expected an aha moment, but it never came for me. A fable needs a lesson, right? In the end, the movie was lame because it didn't deliver. Or maybe I'm not the right viewer to appreciate a Disney family fable with a subtle message. Having said all this, I did watch the entire movie and it did leave me with a warm feeling. I think it might be a good movie for families with odd kids.

I'm giving it 6 for now, but I may raise this to 7 later.

Good Story! Poor Casting

[ilania_a · 7/10 · 11 March 2014]

I expected a D movie and it became almost a B, despite the fact that a pure beautiful legend stemming from nature was transformed into the American concept of what a boy should be. I personally was quite uncomfortable with those leaves falling off one by one a fact that gave the story away quite fast. This director is basically a writer (About a Boy) I suppose a different director, and a stronger cast could have given better results. Jennifer Garner was not at her best. Her husband Joel Edgerton was well cast. The boy CJ Adams failed to make his mark. On the other hand young Joni Odeya Rush proved to be a beautiful, seasoned actress. David Morse made his mark despite the tiny part he was given in this story. It is a family film and there are not too many of those around.

Not as bad as everyone says

[valerie-dynda · 7/10 · 11 January 2014]

I think people have definitely been negatively overreacting about this film. Yes, the movie does have a bit of depressing feel (and ending) but that doesn't make it a bad movie. Some people complain that there was not enough magic involved, but just because that's a part of the storyline doesn't mean the whole story needs to center around that! I thought that while this movie was somewhat unusual, the acting was still great and I believe unusual is good. The emotional factor of this movie was probably its strongest point, as I was definitely getting teared up at a few points. It made me think about the value of our time in life, and I believe any movie that really makes you think is worth your time. While you probably won't leave thinking this is your favorite movie ever, I believe anyone could enjoy it, as long as they come in with an open mind.

Nice story with a heartfelt message.

[Shopaholic35 · 7/10 · 23 February 2015]

Although this movie will never win any awards there is something truly magical about The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. It starts out showing you that anything you can imagine can happen. Be open to every opportunity that life throws your way. Then of course there is the obligatory life lesson thrown in where everything starts to turn sour. There were a few moments though when all I could think was, geez the adults really are bastards. Everything always has to be a competition. Finally you guessed it, the ending picks up and everybody learns from their lessons.

OK so it may be pretty predicable but little Timothy Green has a wonderful spirit and has a beautiful way at looking at the world. It's a nice movie and a lovely concept. You probably only need to watch it once but it's worth it.

Very Touching Film, but Just a Tad Too Short

[pv71989-1 · 8/10 · 15 August 2012]

First of all, let me give this disclaimer. I am one of the background actors in the movie (African-American male at the picnic, soccer games, factory and town hall), so there might be a little bias.

The movie is actually very good, but, alas, is a Disney film and Disney tends to keep their movies under two hours to match the attention span of the intended audiences.

That said, this movie could have used another 15-20 minutes to help flesh out the main and supporting characters. Having spent almost 20 days on the set, I can say director Peter Hedges (About A Boy, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) probably did have such a film only to have to cut another chunk or two.

Sadly, those chunks would have helped.

The story begins with Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) and his wife Cindy (Jennifer Garner) talking to an adoption agency administrator (Shohreh Aghdashloo). The Greens have left key portions of their paperwork empty -- the parts concerning prior experience and why they would make good parents. For that, Jim and Cindy decide to recount the odd life of Timothy Green.

From there, we see, in flashback, Jim and Cindy being told by a doctor that Cindy cannot get pregnant. The couple go home to cry about it, but Jim doesn't want to give up. So, he puts all the wishes he's had for a children on paper and encourages Cindy to do the same. They bury the wishes in a box in a hole in the garden.

A strange rain storm hits. When Jim and Cindy investigate, they find a mysterious boy covered in mud in the room they'd set aside for the kid that would never be born. His name is Timothy and he's soon calling Jim and Cindy Dad and Mom. And he has a big secret -- he's got leaves growing out of his ankles, leaves so strong and natural that local florist Reggie (Lin-Manuel Sanders) breaks his shears trying to snip them.

Afterward, the story goes in a whirlwind. Timothy is introduced to the rest of the family -- Cindy's sister Brenda (Rosemarie DeWitt), Uncle Bub (M. Emmet Walsh), Uncle Mel (Lois Smith) and Jim's dad, Big Jim (David Morse)-- as well as friends (Gregory Marshall Smith, Paul Kakos, Sonia Guzman, Chance Bartels, Paul Barlow Jr., among others. It's here we see the effects of the editing as the introductions of these characters is missing, leaving us a bit confused. We know Jim and Big Jim don't see eye to eye but we get no real sense of the tension. We learn Brenda is more successful than Cindy and has three kids but we can't get a feel for the sibling rivalry. Uncle Bub and Aunt Mel look like they were thrown in.

And this is how much of the film plays out. When we meet Bernice Crudstaff (Oscar winner Dianne Wiest), whose father started the town's pencil factory, we only catch glimpses and only learn her name later. Her husband, Joseph (James Rebhorn), is virtually a ghost, getting perhaps two scenes. Their son Franklin (Ron Livingston) runs the pencil factory and is supposed to be a hard case but we only see a few wisps of his snobbery, including at the crucial town meeting where he gets called on the carpet.

About the most interesting parts of the movie are Joni Jerome (Odeya Rush), a local girl with her own little secret, and Coach Cal (rapper Common), who treats Timothy as a mere water boy for the factory's soccer team. Joni gets a chance to reveal her secret and find a friend (and vice versa for Timothy), while Coach learns it's more about gamesmanship than winning.

Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner make a charming and believable couple, but C.J. Adams, who plays Timothy, steals the show. He ably and superbly plays all of the emotional weight put upon his shoulders as he has to emulate all of the wishes of his movie parents.

Knowing what I know of the production, I honestly believe another 15-20 minutes of footage from the Scott Sanders/Ahmet Zappa production could have done wonders for plot and character development.

Overall, though, it was a very good film that could have been better. For now, just revel in Timothy's wonder, Jim and Cindy's growth as parents and the fun of the soccer games. Yes, it's odd but so is the life of Timothy Green.

Adoption and Foster families must watch

[junodmartina · 7/10 · 6 June 2020]

Amidst the negative reviews.....despite the fantansy of the plot..... all I can say is that the celebrations and loss of family fostering and adoption are apparent to me, an adult adoptee. This movie is a metaphor for the process. It's not meant to make sense. It shows the nature of sudden comings and goings of a foster child but in a nature of a boy from a garden. Must watch for kids of foster and adoption.

A very odd film to say the least

[estebangonzalez10 · 4/10 · 28 November 2012]

¨Please don't ask about my leaves.¨ I'm generally a fan of Disney family movies and don't mind when they get overly sentimental or extremely sweet as long as the characters have depth and the story rings authentic. The problem I had with The Odd Life of Timothy Green wasn't that it was too emotional or sweet, but rather that the story never felt authentic. I know the story is fictional, but even so I never believed the father and son relationship, and the movie really never connected with me. Like the title suggests it felt too odd and weird. I enjoyed Peter Hedges previous movie (Dan in Real Life). He is mostly known of course for writing the screenplay for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Hedges definitely has a lot of talent, but this film just failed to connect with me. In my opinion it is one of his weakest efforts. He adapted the screenplay from Ahmet Zappa's story. I really wouldn't watch this film again even though I liked the actors. I loved Joel Edgerton in Warrior and Jennifer Garner is a well liked actress. CJ Adams did a very good job in the title role as Timothy, but as much as I liked these actors I never enjoyed the story. Everything seemed so disconnected from reality and I couldn't find any character with depth. It was like if they were in a rush to tell the story and they never stopped to focus on the relationships that were being built.

The film begins by introducing us to a young couple from Stanleyville (the pencil capital of the world) who is trying to adopt a kid. Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are being interviewed in order to see if they are qualified and thus they begin to narrate the story about the boy who changed their lives: Timothy. The entire film is told in flashback style while the couple is in the interview. They story begins with them in the doctor's office where they are given the bad news that they will never be able to have children. That night they arrive home devastated by the news, but Jim decides to dream for one last night about their child. They begin to name several qualities that child would have and they write them down. After coming up with several qualities they put them inside a box and bury it in their backyard garden. That night a strong storm hits their home and they wake up to a strange sound in the house. They discover a young boy named Timothy (CJ Adams) who has leaves growing out of his ankles. Timothy calls them mom and dad, and that is when Jim and Cindy discover that their dream child has grown out of their garden. Timothy teaches them several lessons about life and parenting. He also falls in love with a young girl named Joni (Odeya Rush) who helps him to adopt to the new life. A few surprises happen along the way as Timothy meets the rest of the family and town members. He inspires and changes the lives of Jim and Cindy forever.

As much as I wanted to like this family friendly movie I couldn't. The film lacked authenticity or at least a sense of minimal believability in a fairytale. I liked CJ Adams performance, but his character wasn't really well developed either. He was a little too odd and I never felt the connection between him and his parents. This is yet another movie that seems to tell us that children are wiser than their parents, but I will make an exception here because we were dealing with a miraculous kid. There is not much more I can say about this film, you either love it or hate it. With me it failed to make any connection whatsoever, but it is a sweet family friendly film. I didn't find it to be very emotional although it does try to be a tearjerker. It never reached that emotional level or touching moment that I was hoping for.

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A Balanced Family Drama

[tabuno · 8/10 · 17 January 2019]

28 August 2012. This family drama is a fusion of August Rush (2007), a young adult version of Meet Joe Black (1998) and Heaven Can Wait (1978). What makes this particular movie stand out is how it avoids the traditional sweet syrupy sludge of typical feel good juvenile movies. Instead the script incorporates a more encompassing view of life, including its funny moments, innocent experiences as well as the drama of hurt, sadness, and loss. In sort, this is a very nicely balance movie that includes a slice of life look at our own experiences but through the lens of honesty and the hopes and dreams of many parents and their children as well. This is a movie about what can be and is. Reviewed 8/26/12. 8/10.

Flawed, but sweet and (re)watchable

[Doctor_Dexter · 7/10 · 12 April 2020]

The eponymous star of the film is Timothy, without a doubt. The otherworldly boy who gives everything away 'because that's what you do with gifts' is simply irresistible. The character is adorable, the actor who portrayed him very gifted and natural.

The story may have some flaws, and the adult characters are a bit wooden here and there, but still, it's a sweet little film with a good heart, that's very watchable of your in the mood for something innocent and nice for a change. As a matter of fact, I don't get the cantankerous, borderline malicious 1 star reviews at all. How cynical and sour do you have to be to actually *hate* a film like this? As much as the mill-owners, or even more? Don't be like them. Be like Timothy instead. ;)

Despite best efforts of Jennifer Garner & CJ Adams, odd movie is boring and dumb

[herbqedi · 2/10 · 21 January 2013]

This movie opens with Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton as prospective adoptive parents trying to make their case for application. The three agency characters shown are bureaucratic caricatures except for occasional interjections of nasty and misanthropic attempts at humor that no bureaucrat would risk losing her (or his) job to make. It is during this time that to explain "what experiences have prepared them for parenthood" that they tell their tales of "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" in flashback.

Having been told finally that natural parenthood is impossible for them, the Greens perform one final exercise of writing down what their perfect child would be like, then putting them in a box and burning it. Lo and behold, Timothy (the only boy name selected) comes out of the garden and behaves with all the characteristics they imagined as time unfolds, one pronounced trait at a time.

I love good fantasies but they should be internally consistent within the rules of the fantasy world they create. This one isn't close. I also enjoy feel-good movies - one description many reviewers use for this. This movie has an awful lot of misanthropic characters and humor for a feel-good movie. It plays to me more like an ironic fantasy of Raold Dahl (Matilda, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, etc.) without the sharp wit or the internal consistency.

You know you are in trouble when the kindest and sweetest of the supporting characters is played by M. Emmett Walsh. David Morse, normally a personal favorite, plays Edgerton's father so devoid of humanity that we never get a clear view of his face. Rosemarie DeWitt (Tara's sister in the US of Tara) plays a stereotyped condescending, judgmental, and catty sister. Michael Arden is still another sarcastic "friend" and co-worker with his own agenda. Diane Wiest, another favorite and generally wonderful in fantasy (Edward Scisssorhands), is so nasty and unlikable that her transformation seems ridiculous. The untalented Ron Livingston is even nastier and less convincing than usual as Edgerton's slimy boss. Edgerton is no better than adequate as the husband. CJ Adams is marvelous and thoroughly credible as the Timothy Green he creates and Jennifer Garner does manage to move my heart as contrived and nasty as the script is. These are two standout performances far better than this movie deserves.

One real problem is that even though Timothy's appearance, transformation, deeds, and exit actions are magical, that magic is nowhere to be seen or appreciated on-screen. This makes the movie a pointless and dense 105-minute talk-fest for kids and pointless and unlikable for most adults looking for entertainment. Another major problem, given how contentious and nasty the Green's friends and relatives are and given the mysterious appearance of this boy and the movie's small-company-town atmosphere, how is it that nobody has asked questions to the local adoption agency about this boy or seriously investigates where he came from. Finally, the people and town also seem too affluent and dress too well for a company town whose main business is failing. Also, how is it that Dianne Wiest who runs the company where Garner works is suddenly on-stage for the climactic scene in the pencil company where Ron Livingston takes credit for Green's invention? What is the soccer coach doing there? Has the movie suddenly morphed into Gung Ho?

I could continue to go into the inconsistency of Timothy's homilies about his gifts and the couple actually getting a kid form the bureaucrats, but that too would be pointless.