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The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, and CJ Adams
Synopsis: Family friendly entertainment can be tricky. You have to balance a lot of competing values. The story needs to be engaging for audiences of all ages and have some kind of hook to keep the audience. “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” tries to balance all those competing values, doing it with a fittingly odd story. It’s a story of family, of what it means to be a good parent, and, more importantly, of what it means to be a good person. Released by Disney, the film is a fitting counter programming option to the glut of late summer action releases. And though it’s got some heart, the finished product is a bit uneven. These kind of films can be a tough sell. There’s some elements of fantasy, some of whimsy, and some of heart-felt emotion. It’s a balancing act that requires a deft hand. In some ways, that’s a good description of the work done by co-writer and director Peter Hedges (“About a Boy,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”). There are some beautiful moments in this film, and you can’t question the film’s heart. What you can question is the overall product. It starts with an interesting premise, and there is a beautiful emotional climax. But in the middle, the film feels a little too pedestrian. It’s obvious to see where it’s all going, and it feels like it takes too long to get there. Hedges clearly had an idea in mind when telling this story. Like his other works, this looks at what it means to be a family and seeks to tug at the heart-strings through a mixture of emotional drama and comedy. But the whole production is a bit uneven. The film has some nice performances. Garner — who has played a few of these types of roles in recent years — does a nice job as Cindy. Edgerton continues to show is range by offering a nice performance in a different kind of role as well. Other supporting actors — including Lois Smith, M. Emmet Walsh, Rosemarie DeWitt, Diane Wiest, David Morse, and Ron Livingston — all do a nice job rounding out the adult cast as well. A film like this, though, relies on good young actors. Adams has to do a lot of work as Timothy, and he handles it well. He’s got a strong, likeable screen presence that helps give the movie some of its charm. This film does provide solid family entertainment, and it has a sweet heart and ending. It is a bit too long and too clumsy in getting to that ending, but it’s still a nice slice of family entertainment to wrap up the summer movie season.
Rating: PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

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