Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are a happily married couple who desperately want to start a family.  They keep trying to have a baby, but their wish to have a kid is only fulfilled when they bury a box (of what their kid would be like) in their garden.   On one night when it only rains on their house (in the small town of Stanleyville where a drought is going on), a boy named Timothy with leaves show up on his legs show up at their door and everything changes.   They start learning what a joy it is having a child (despite being overprotective and competing to see who the better parent is).  THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN will be heartwarming and touching to some while others will see this film a manipulation of the heart strings.   I do see the idea of making a pencil out of leaves a genius touch, but I do find the small town pencil factory in danger of closing as something to move the plot along at times and a way to make people care for the town.  I think both would be correct.  I enjoyed the movie for its charm and the acting in addition to the welcome introduction of actress Odeya Rush (who plays a character Timothy has a crush on and befriends).

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary with Director Peter Hedges as he describes the story process and the changes done in post-production and other locations used to make the film look like it was filmed in the fall (and not mostly in February in Georgia).

 

The deleted scenes (with optional commentary from the director) were either cut for pacing or storytelling reasons because they didn’t follow through or didn’t want to reveal part of the story too soon to Cindy and Jim.

 

THIS IS FAMILY- a sappy promotional making-of featurette as the cast and crew wax on how great and special it is to work on this film

THE GIFT OF MUSIC- a behind-the-scenes look at the music of the film

 

“THE GIFT” music video by Glen Hansard

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:   THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN is an OK movie to rent for one viewing, but some of us may feel it is a little too manipulative on the heart strings for a sappy film.    Still I like the actors in it and it was fun fluffy entertainment for an evening.

 

This review is (c)12-4-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com