ALONG COMES MARY

Monday night, I had the pleasure of seeing Disney’s newest, magical tale, The Odd Life of Timothy Green. I admit that I was skeptical & unsure if this would be a film that I would enjoy. I love it when I am proven wrong! This is one of the cutest movies I have seen in a long time, celebrating innocence & being unique, & leave it to Disney to pull off such an unusual story….

Jim & Cindy Green live in the small town of Stanleyville, which could be either a New England, or perhaps, southern, setting. Stanleyville is “The Pencil Capitol of The World” having had a factory since the 1800s & how most of the townsfolk earn their livleihood. Jim works at the factory while Cindy gives tours at a local museum. Theres one thing desperatley missing from their life: A child. After much trying, they get what no couple wishing for a baby want to hear: Its unlikely they can conceive. Devastated by this news, they try to have a fun evening drinking wine & writing down on pieces of paper all the qualities their child would have: Funny, Loving, Athletic (But maybe not!), Never gives up. They then put these notes in a, perhaps, magical?? wooden box & plant it. Only to be awakened from a thunder storm to discover little, adorable Timothy. They know from the get-go he is different; after Cindy helps him get cleaned up from all the dirt he is covered in, she sees he has leaves growing on his legs. Feeling blessed by this strange miracle, they take the boy in as their own, but tell friends & family an adoption finally worked out for them.

The on-going moral of this story is: It is OK to be different. It is OK to stand up for what you believe in. And you should not be made to feel less deserving in life than others. Timothy touches the lives of many in Stanleyville, & even helps create an amazing new kind of pencil in an effort to save the dwindling pencil economy that may force the towns factory to close down. Timothy sees things in their most purest form & always is seeing the glass half full, unlike some he encounters.

CJ Adams, who portrays Timothy, is absolutely the sweetest little boy & I hope he gets recognition for bringing this great character to life. I am sure it was not an easy task to play a child who comes from a garden! Jennifer Garner, whom I loved in 13 Going on 30, looks stunning & I could feel her pain as she longs for a baby, then her joy as she falls in love with her new little boy. I was unaware Dianne Weist, who is one of my favorite actresses, also has a role in Timothy Green. Playing Cindy’s cold hearted boss & nailing the role. Odeya Rush, another young newcomer, shines as Timothy’s love interest, Joni, who also feels different but learns thats ok.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green opens in theatres today & is a heartwarming movie the whole family can enjoy; as far as bringing little ones, I would think a slightly older audience would enjoy it, perhaps 8 & up. There is no scary content, nor foul language. It is a tearjerker, I will warn you! I would gladly see it again, given the chanch.

*Disclosure: I was provided a complimentray ticket to an advanced screening from Disney Pictures. All opinions are my own & I highly recommend this film!