The Odd Life of Timothy Green

There are some people only a mother would love, and there are some films only Disney would make. The Odd Life of Timothy Green is one of those films. It has all their trademark kitch- a small industrial town going through a rough time; a childless and twee married couple; a cheeky, but wise young boy; and of course magic. It follows the Disney formula so precisely that the story is predictable and characters are as one-dimensional as they can be. This should be excusable in a kids film, but Timothy Green insults children’s intelligence and will bore the poor adults who have to sit through it with them.

The hard-up town is called Stanleyville and it has suffers both a drought and the potential closure of the pencil factory, the town’s main economic source. It is quite clear where this town will be going over the course of the story. Living in the town are Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joe Edgerton) who desperately want a child, but can’t conceive. After a night of drinking (probably the only realistic reaction these characters show to their situation) the couple make a list if all the qualities they wish their child would have. They then bury the list in the back garden and after a bit of magic (now that’s real Disney) the list turns into Timothy Green (C J Adams) who changes the lives of everyone in the town.

Every plot development is traditionally Disney, and can be seen coming as soon as it is hinted at and this makes the film dull. If it had been at the hands of another studio some darkness and depth may have added a bit of interest to the concept by making it a harder hitting film The closure of a major economic source to the town could have been used to show the difficulties many who work in America’s manufacturing towns are facing. However, this dark side is not present with Disney, who still has their characters live in a large house despite two poorly paid jobs.

The characters also lack any true human darkness or depth and are instead traditional Disney creations. Jennifer Garner’s Cindy is petty, over bearing, and meddlesome both at the start of the film (which is forgivable) and at the end when she should have learnt her lesson. While Joe Edgerton’s Jim is equally meddlesome, but also highly competitive and pushy in a way that will make many parents rip their hair out in despair. As a couple they are the last ones who should become parents. The only likable Green is Timothy who C J Adams manages to play as sweet and kind without overdoing it. Considering this is his second ever Hollywood role C J Adams holds his own and is the best thing about the film.

With The Odd Life of Timothy Green Disney have gone back to their usual formula, but audiences have matured beyond the simple story of magic and wishes. The film may go down well in Middle America, but over here audiences want a little more substance both at the ages of 5 and 35.

Degree-Fail

Dull, cliche and patronising. No one will enjoy this film.