“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” Too Sappy for Most
“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is a Disney film fable neither
fish nor fowl. It is intended for a young audience, yet it is aimed more at
parents. I’m afraid it will please neither group very much.
Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton are Cindy and Jim Green, a
childless couple who want a child so badly they write down the qualities of a
son they don’t have, and bury the notes in a box in their back yard, perhaps expecting a miracle.
There is a
big rain storm- apparently over their house alone because there is a drought
everywhere else- and lo and behold in mid-deluge a 10-year-old boy (C.J. Adams)
appears at their front door, covered in mud. He is like any other boy except he
has leaves attached to his ankles. Yep, Timothy, as the Greens call the boy,
has sprung up from the ground (almost) fully-formed.
This premise, based on an idea by Ahmet Zappa (Frank’s son)
and fleshed out by writer-director Peter Hedges, is a whopping giant leap of faith. The
rest of the story is equally trying, as saint-like little Timothy learns a lot
of life’s lessons in a brief time, making everyone better in the process.
On the positive side, CJ Adams is a really appealing kid,
and so is Odeya Rush as the misfit girl who befriends him and encourages his
artistic side.
“Timothy Green’ is supposed to be inspirational, but it hits
you over the head with that intention, losing any subtle charm.
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