Timmy Fiasco

It has its moments and genuinely made me laugh out loud a few times it was just a little to basic and very repetitive in its humour. By the end I was certainly wavering but certainly a lot worse in terms of family comedies for adults to sit through and kids are likely to enjoy it.

This movie is no failure. But I'm not sure it's a complete success either. I laughed more than my nine year old son did. Additionally, I found myself pausing the movie frequently to explain how much of what was being seen on screen was in the young boys head. And that he was the only one playing along with his imagination/fantasy. The rest of the cast were his foils...not really in on his schemes.

For no other reason, it's worth seeing for the imaginative script. The lead actor kind of wore on me. The monotone thing was only cute for so long. He needed a little bit more range. May not be the youngsters fault rather the director's box that he was put in. Either way prepare for a mini Joe Friday..."Just the Facts Mam" from credits to credits.

This is an odd one. Funny while tip toeing in the pediatric learning disability/mental illness waters. This is a good thing. My son actually asked me to pause the movie during a scene where the protagonist found himself in trouble in school due to his wild imagination. My son proceeds to share how difficult concentrating in class is for him. This was so interesting because lately I've noticed some things that made me wonder about ADHD. I'm not going to diagnose him but I will now look into this. The fact that he initiated this conversation came across like he was asking for help so help it will be. I love him! This wasn't my favorite movie but it may have helped my family and possibly help others too. Well done!

Watched this with my kids (8 & 10) and we loved it. Between the great casting and acting from everyone (especially Flo) to the main character's (Timmy Failure's) hard boiled and dry delivery of almost every line, this movie is spot on. Settle in for a fun detective adventure that weaves the quirkiness of Portland with the absurdities of an unsupervised, intelligent kid's imagination as he tries to solve his next case involving the class hamster, the "Russians", and a Segway.

This kid's inner narrative, as well as his laser focus on the imaginary while remaining oblivious to the obvious, will be reminiscent a lot of our own childhoods if we grew up with undiagnosed autism.

I have been really surprised about the comments I have read for this movie so far as they suggest many people may have been mistaken about what it is about. The movie is not specifically for children which is where some of the confusion potentially comes from (given it is based on children's books) because a lot of the heavy dialogue (and little action) may go over their heads.

Timmy is a little boy who is rather disruptive & oblivious of most. His behaviour most likely however represents someone with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (unfortunately most comments so far suggest many people are unfamiliar with what this is). Timmy struggles with understanding what is going on around him & in order to deal with his life, has created a world that makes sense to him.

The characters of Mr Jenkins, Crispin & Patty are brilliant because they take Timmy seriously & recognise that he is not meaning to be rude; quite to the contrary, he is trying his best to do what is right. What is fantastic about these characters is that they model strategies to help him be successful, without destroying his identity. The movie also highlights the importance of differentiated learning so that all individuals are able to engage (as opposed to Mr Crocus' antiquated methods when dealing with atypical learners).

This movie is quietly affirming for those of us in close contact with children on the spectrum. It is a brilliant window into how the world might seem to them (& be different to ours) and is a reminder that we need to have patience and that eventually, with persistence it will all make sense. The movie is refreshing because it Is realistic; it is confusing and awkward at times, just like life is for any child that is feeling uncertain.