The Odd Life of Timothy Green
for mild thematic elements and brief language.
Reviewed by: Laura Busch
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Good |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Kids Family Teens Adults |
| Genre: | Family Fantasy Drama |
| Length: | 1 hr. 40 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2012 |
| USA Release: |
August 15, 2012 (wide—2,500+ theaters) DVD: December 4, 2012 |
infertility
Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer
What about the issue of suffering? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer
Does God feel our pain? Answer
Did God make the world the way it is now? What kind of world would you create? Answer
ANXIETY, FEAR AND WORRY—What does the Bible say? Answer
adoption in the Bible
being different than others
not being afraid to try anything
trying to be good parents
layoffs
| Featuring |
Jennifer Garner … Cindy Green Joel Edgerton … Jim Green Dianne Wiest … Ms. Crudstaff David Morse … James Green Sr. Rosemarie DeWitt … Brenda Best Ron Livingston … Franklin Crudstaff Common See all » |
| Director |
Peter Hedges |
| Producer |
Monsterfoot Productions Scott Sanders Productions Walt Disney Pictures See all » |
| Distributor |
“He’s a force of nature.”
“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is a heartwarming film that tells the story of Jim and Cindy Green, a married couple, who want more than anything to be parents. After learning that their dream of having a baby will never happen, the heartbroken couple decide to entertain their dream of a child one final time by writing down all of the attributes and dreams they have for their child on pieces of paper. Jim and Cindy place the pieces of paper in a box and bury their hope of a child in their garden. Much to their surprise, a 10-year-old boy named Timothy emerges from their garden after a heavy rainstorm. Timothy explains that he is meant for them. Jim and Cindy embrace the amazing miracle from their garden with love and excitement. Timothy touches the lives of everyone he encounters and helps Jim and Cindy learn from the mistakes they make as parents.
“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is a clean and charming fairy tale with many important lessons that can be gleaned from the story and its overarching themes. The film’s central themes align themselves with many Christian ideologies regarding family and relationships. It offers a refreshing portrayal of a traditional two-parent family, who are in a loving and committed marriage. The roles of mother and father are held in the highest regard. This film’s central themes also emphasize that children are precious gifts to be cherished, and that sharing your love with a child is one of the most beautiful gifts of marriage.
The issue of being “different” is also addressed in the film. Timothy is not like the other kids. He has leaves growing out his legs and is clumsy on the soccer field.
This film can serve as a reminder to children that it is okay to be different and not conform to the ways of others around us. The character of Timothy wears his differences like a badge of honor and is proud of who he is. Timothy’s is a kind-hearted boy, who is like a ray of light in the darkness.
The film’s emphasis on being “different” and not conforming to the rest of the world can serve as a wonderful discussion starter for parents to talk with their children about what it means to be “different” as a Christian. We are called, as Christians, to be in the world but not of the world. Romans 12:12 tells us,
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
This film also touches upon the deep pain that so many childless couples experience, and it delves into the many mistakes that parents make along the journey of parenthood. As Christians, this film’s central themes also reminds us that God’s plans for our lives do not always happen when—and in the way—that we expect. We see Jim and Cindy learn from their mistakes and grow as a couple and parents. This film will probably be most enjoyed by slightly older children and their parents, due to the serious nature of some of the themes.
Cinematically, the film has an almost whimsical charm, with just the right balance of humor and drama. Young actor C.J. Adams brings the character of Timothy to life in a charming and nuanced performance, while Jennifer Garner and Joel Edergton deliver sincere performances as new parents, who want the best for their child.
I have very few bad things to say about “the Odd Life of Timothy Green.” The Lord’s name is misused approximately 4 or 5 times. Timothy kicks a girl, when she tries to remove his sock to see the leaves on his legs, but he feels bad about it, later. After Timothy develops a crush on a girl, his parents agree that it is time to have “the talk,” but they get interrupted before the can talk to him.
Spirituality and the concept of a higher power play an integral role in this film, however none of the spiritual themes in the film are attributed to God. The role of the “higher power’ in this movie is completely ambiguous, and, as a Christian viewer, I found myself filling in the blanks with God, where the story left God out entirely. While this film tells a touching and sincere story, the positive themes in this story lack some depth due to the complete absence of our Creator and Sustainer.
Overall, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is good choice for Christian viewers. It is a moving film with multi-dimensional characters that are brought to life in a touching story, which reflects many Christian ideals regarding marriage and family
Violence: Mild / Profanity: Minor—“Oh G_d” (3), “Oh dear G_d,” “hell” / Sex/Nudity: Minor
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
The film starts by dealing with the painful reality that many couples face when they are told they are not able to conceive children. In their grief, the couple writes on pieces of paper about what they had dreamed for their child. He’ll be artistic, he’ll score the winning goal in a game, he’ll be kind, and he’ll have all the qualities that they have themselves, etc. They bury these in a box in the garden, and, overnight, a miracle happens. The child they had dreamed of appears in their garden. This leads to interesting and humorous consequences. This movie has a number of lessons. Children can learn from how the story embraces the idea that it’s okay to be different. Having something unique about you is good, and you don’t need to be ashamed to show it. Also, moms and dads are human and are doing the best they can. Sometimes they make mistakes, but are figuring out a lot of things, as they go.
The deeper theme which is more likely to be appreciated by teens and adults is about how children are a gift that is not to be squandered. We see the various “pitfalls of parenting”, mistakes that parents make in real life. The parents are shown as well meaning, but making mistakes as they try to figure out what to do. Parenting is shown as a learning process, too! Also, the idea that we have only a certain amount of time with our children until they are grown and how opportunities can be lost, comes across very clearly. The child touches people’s lives, but his opportunity to do so has time limits, as childhood passes quickly. I think some children might be confused by some of the thematic elements, and not understand how what happens in the story is a stepping stone for the real happiness for the couple later on. So, I consider it to have a non-traditional happy ending.
The movie is very clean, and no foul language is used, that I could hear. One character says, “Oh, dear God” and I think the obnoxious sister character may have said God’s name once, quietly. I am very sensitive to such things, but was not offended by this movie, at all. The only thing about this story is that there is no praying or mention of God as being the reason for the miracle. For me, if they had asked God for a child, I would have been much happier. In the story, it appears to be magic, but we are not sure of how this happens. I found this movie to be quite moving and was thinking a lot about the story after I left the theatre. There are a lot of positive things to say about this film, and I would strongly recommend it. I, also, like how the couple has a loving marriage and treat each other with kindness and respect. It’s just so nice to see a clean movie that also contains depth that can be appreciated by people of all ages.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Moral rating: none / Moviemaking quality: 3
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4