by LJ (bio)
The winner of the The Odd Life of Timothy Green DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack is Kristi O'Dair Clews (link to comment). Please email us your address by this Friday to claim your DVD. If you didn't win, buy this wonderful movie
for your family starting December 4th.First and foremost, The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a squeaky-clean movie with a good message about putting family first. It's almost totally free of fart jokes, double-entendres, or even kids being super rude to their parents. This was a breath of fresh air because I feel like some kid movies are incredibly and intentionally crass. (Anyone closely connected with the late Jim Henson or Pixar Studios, you are of course excused from this sweeping generalization.)
My husband and I had seen the trailer for this film earlier in the year and frankly, I didn't know what to expect. It looked like a couple without children who somehow mysteriously grow a son in their garden overnight. (I found this to be a fun little detail, considering how many of us Mormon kids probably went through some of our childhoods believing that sex was for degenerates and that we were picked from the garden ourselves.)
From a technical standpoint, I thought it was a really pretty movie with a gorgeous setting and great costuming. The look and the score contribute to a homey, small-town feel that made me oddly nostalgic. CJ Adams as Timothy Green, gave the best performance of the film as a slim little dreamer, a trusting and gentle soul who goes around making people's lives better.
This being said, this is a movie that would be difficult for the 8-and-under crowd mostly because the pace is a little slow and the ending is a little sad. Parents, be ye warned that it also verges into corny territory in a couple of spots. However, The Odd Life of Timothy Green is worth the watch because it encourages you to do your best by your family and put your pride aside. Most importantly, it gives you license to believe in little miracles when they do come along.
