La Drôle de Vie de Timothy Green

Disney has a rich history with animated films, but they also manage to deliver touching original live action films. Their latest The Odd Life of Timothy Green takes on an interesting subject with a bit of fantasy blended with a family drama. With a decent cast including Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Ron Livingston, and Dianne Wiest will they be able to deliver an entertaining movie that will speak to the audience or end up needing to be planted back in the garden? The Odd Life of Timothy Green follows a married couple who are dying to start a family, but when things just aren't working out they began to dream about what their child would be like. After a stormy night a young boy named Timothy shows up and changes the couple and their small town in unexpected ways. This is one of those movies that as a whole work really well telling the story in an effective entertaining way. Everyone gave decent performances but nothing really stood out other than Timothy himself CJ Adams who brings a needed innocence to the character that really comes off very well. If his performance didn't work then this movie would not have worked at all. Thanks to his ability to bring this character to life while delivering all the various emotions to bring the rest of the story in cast together. The story is original, cute, and enduring but still was missing a little something. It starts out a bit slow and drawn out taking a little more time than needed to get to the point, but still works for the most part. For the rest of the movie you are fairly entertained and intrigued on where they are taking the story, but then becomes a bit predictable. While this never really hurts the film, the lack of real resolve to the primary part of the story you sit through really loses you at the end. With that being said the majority of this film works really well.

This is a rare film that not only tells a heartwarming story filled with a wide range of emotions and sensitivities. This is a funny film wrapped in an emotional drama, with a touch of fantasy that delivers an original film in an age filled with remakes and sequels. If you're looking for something new for the family give Timothy Green a try.

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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.

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.

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.

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.