Movie Review: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

On a quiet Saturday night (actually post-midnight), I was hit by insomnia and the silence in the house was overbearing. I turned to my laptop for escape it all, and played “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”. Bless my sister for downloading it.

Starring Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy (Jennifer Garner), the story is not an invention. It has been done before quite a few times. It’s a simple story of a couple, trying really hard to have a baby unsuccessfully. They have exhausted all medical possibilities and are beat.

One night, after being told umpteenth time that they cannot have a baby, they try to bury their dreams of having a child by writing out all the great traits their child would have and putting them in a box in the garden. Resigned, they go to bed, only to be woken up by thunder storm.

And suddenly, they find a boy of about 8-10 years in their house! He introduces himself as Timothy (Cj Adams) and call Cindy and Jim, mom and dad. They are worried, and assume that the boy ran away from his home. Jim calls 911, report it and wait for the cops to arrive. The child, Tim, insists that he came from the garden and hasn’t run away. This is when Jim finds their backyard dug up and Cindy discovers leaves on Tim’s legs. Because they so desperately want a child, they cook up a story to appease their curiosity that God has finally listened to their prayers and sent Tim as their child.

Tim is a sweetheart, and has ALL the qualities that his pseudo parents had wished for. He’s funny, kind-hearted and honest to fault. An engaging story continues, wrapped around fantasy drama and innocent romance. It’s funny, brimming with life and great supporting actors. And then, it all changes. Tim’s leaves begin to fall off…changing lives of all those around him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, for its engaging storyline and Tim’s heart-warming performance. It was subtle, almost muted, which makes it look real and engaging. I recommend it when you want a quiet night with pop-corn and warm blanket.