A magical story about a boy who grows from the garden. Only Disney could pull this off. Dayvee Sutton reviews “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”
*originally posted on Yahoo! Movies
There is an important message about accepting who you are in Disney’s “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”
This movie is meant to be an enchanting story about what can happen when you make wish and really, really, really want it to come true.(Que fantasy music and fairytale voice.) A simple couple, Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) have struggled for years to have baby. On the evening of their latest disappointment...just when they were going to give up, they decide to play a game and talk about the qualities their would-be child would have. Suddenly when young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up in their home, they realize that this miracle boy is for them. The family’s dreams have come true, but only for a passing moment. Although Timothy’s stay is limited, the lesson the young couple needed to learn is completed while he was there. (End of fantasy music and fairytale voice.)
At first I thought the message of this film was that if you “dream, plant and believe” then all the wishes deep in your heart will come true. Obviously this film tells more than that.
This is actually a heartwarming story and through Timothy’s journey you will learn that although it is not easy if you are different, the best way to live life is to accept yourself. That’s the perfect message for the audience of this film. It is exponentially harder to be a kid today than ever: social media has provided no escape from having your insecurities amplified and being vulnerable to bullies.
CJ Adams, who plays Timothy, is the perfect Disney boy: big eyes, expressive, a little quirky and odd. Watching him made me curious about what else he has done (que IMDB: Dan in Real Life), and we can expect much more work from this brilliant newcomer in the future.
Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton are decent supporting actors. Their characters are pretty flat, I think by design. They do their job, you sympathize with them. They are expressive. But since this is a kid movie, their story lines aren’t meant to get too complex. You are supposed to simply understand their struggle and triumph. And in this film you do.
Cinematically this movie is typical and classic modern Disney. Big spacious homes that house a little bit of magic mixed with real life. The actors perfectly groom and everything happens in small town U.S.A. This time the place was Stanleyville, the Pencil Capital of the world. (I started to think that if working in pencils could get me a McMansion like the Greens, that I’m going to have to reconsider my career choice! I digress.)
My favorite part of this movie was not a scene or a line, it was the message this film gives to young people. (I know, now I am getting sappy.) But it’s true. It’s hard being a kid these days, and quite frankly, it’s a great reminder for adults too.
On the emotional side, I didn’t like that Timothy’s stay was only temporary. But don’t fret, this is a Disney movie, so there is a happy ending.
It's already hard enough to be a kid, and today’s digital age makes peer influence even stronger. This movie is nice to take school-aged children in order to show them different ways of coping with being different.
To check out my video review on Youtube, click here.
To buy exclusive “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” merchandise, click here.
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