Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) are a couple who wish for the ultimate “American Dream” in the wistful new film “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”
Successful jobs. A happy marriage. A secure place you can call home. Ad, above all, children.
The two have jobs they care about, are completely in love with one another and own a beautiful home in small-town Stanleyville. However, after months of trying to conceive, the couple is told by Cindy’s gynecologist she is unable to have children.
Devastated by the news, Jim and Cindy return home, Cindy in tears and Jim at a loss for words. Jim tells Cindy that although they need to continue on with their life, they will take time to write down all the amazing qualities their kid would have, if he existed.
They scribble down all of their child’s characteristics on scraps of paper, including hair color, hobbies and even specific details like him “scoring the winning soccer goal.” They put all the paper in a box and bury it in their garden.
That night, after an alarming downpour, the couple wakes up to their door slamming and foot steps pattering around the house. They discover a real, live boy has sprouted from their garden and despite the fact that he looks like a normal child, he has leaves growing out of his legs.
The boy introduces himself as Timothy, and Jim and Cindy take him into their home and accept him as their own, believing that their ultimate wish of having a child has come true.
“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is one of the sweetest and more touching live-action films Disney has produced in recent years. Writer/director Peter Hedges (“About a Boy” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”) uses both magic and realism to declare how precious time is, especially those childhood years. What’s more, Hedges stresses the importance of family and how one person’s life can touch and inspire so many others.
Where “Timothy Green” turns brown is its length. At two hours and five minutes, the movie is too long to hold the attention of young kids and a little too drawn out for the average film goer.
Despite its length, the story is a precious gem, an inspiring tale for couples who have faced infertility and for those who have lost a child. Such stories are rarely told through cinema today.
Overall, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is a rich, emotional story that reveals the importance of family and faith.
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