Movie Review--The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Movie Review—The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Shortly after the beginning of the movie, we are taken to a scene in a doctor’s office where Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are told that even though they have been trying, they might never be able to conceive a child.  Fast forward and we see them seated in front of adoption agency officials telling them the story of their son, 10-year-old Timothy (CJ Adams). They are explaining to a younger man and a middle-aged woman “it may be hard to believe....but”—flash back to the story.

Cindy Green is devastated by the news from the doctor.  At home she goes into her room and weeps.  Jim knocks on the door and together they decide to confront their problem by drinking wine and imagining all the best qualities their son would surely have.  They write down all the things on little pieces of paper and put them in a wooden box.  In a terrible rain storm with lots of thunder and lightning, they bury the box in the garden. 

During the night Jim wakes up and instead of Cindy in the bed, he finds dirt.  Puzzled, he calls the police because he thinks someone has been in the house while they slept.  He refers to the storm the night before, but they tell him there was no storm.  It seems it was only at their house.  Shortly, they find a small boy covered with dirt in the house playing with some things packed in a box. Though surprised, they get him scrubbed up and discover he has leaves growing from the bottom of his legs.

In the morning Cindy's sister, Brenda Best, (Rosemarie DeWitt) shows up at the front door with her family.  Jim and Cindy hurriedly put socks over his legs and calmly introduce Timothy to everyone. The development of the plot involves all the good qualities that they imagined their son would have—though he is different and even odd.  He befriends a girl (Odeya Rush) who is self-conscious because she has a birthmark, he changes Jim’s intimidating father (David Morse), he shows his musical talent by beating a rhythm on a coconut shell, and he frequently throws out his arms with his face to the sun.  And, always the leaves, both on his legs and on the trees are part of the story.

Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner are flawless as Timothy’s playful and protecting parents, but CJ Adams (Timothy) carries the story.  The setting is the small town of Stanleyville, somewhere in the Midwest (actually filmed in Albany, Georgia). The main industry is a pencil factory where most of the people work.  The movie has a range of emotional issues such as father/son relationships, sibling rivalry (Cindy and her sister Brenda Best—her name is appropriate), bullying, competition, love and sadness.  Part of the movie is a fantasy (who “finds” a child from the garden?) and part is reality (infertility, difficult people, work problems, etc.).  It is perfect for children and enjoyable and entertaining for adults--maybe not Disney’s best, but still worth seeing.