The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
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A couple's desperate wish for a child manifests into a magical boy who begins to change the lives of everyone in their town.
The story
Cindy and Jim Green, a couple living in the fictitious town of Stanleyville, are told by doctors that they are unable to conceive. Distraught, Jim convinces Cindy to write down the characteristics and life events of their ideal child on slips of paper. They bury these notes in a wooden box in their backyard. Following a mysterious thunderstorm, a 10-year-old boy named Timothy appears at their home, claiming them as his parents. The Greens soon realize that Timothy is a physical manifestation of their wishes, possessing a unique and startling physical feature that they must navigate as he begins to interact with their community.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film is told from the perspective of Cindy and Jim Green, who are trying to persuade an adoption agency to let them adopt a child. After they bury a box of notes describing their ideal child in their backyard, a 10-year-old boy named Timothy appears during a thunderstorm. The Greens discover Timothy is a manifestation of their wishes and that he has leaves growing on his legs. They introduce him to family members, including Cindy's sister Brenda and Jim's estranged father. Timothy attends school, meets a girl named Joni, and helps the town's pencil factory by designing a new prototype. Unbeknownst to the parents, Timothy loses a leaf every time he fulfills a quality from the original notes. He eventually reveals to the Greens that his time is short and he will disappear. After he vanishes during another thunderstorm, the Greens meet with an adoption counselor. Cindy presents a letter Timothy left behind, which explains how he touched the lives of various people in town. After an unspecified amount of time, the Greens are shown with their new daughter, Lily.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Hedges
- Writers
- Peter Hedges · screenplay; Ahmet Zappa · story
- Cast and characters
- Jennifer Garner · Cindy Green; Joel Edgerton · James Green; Dianne Wiest · Bernice Crudstaff; CJ Adams · Timothy Green; Rosemarie DeWitt · Brenda Best; Ron Livingston · Franklin Crudstaff; David Morse · James "Big Jim" Green Sr.; Common · Coach Cal
- Genres
- fantasy; comedy; drama
- Themes
- wish fulfillment; family; adoption; magical realism
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; fantasy; warm
- Premise and plot tags
- magical realism; family drama; fantasy comedy
- Reception
- The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with some praising its art direction and cast while others criticized it for being overly sentimental and thinly scripted. It received an average grade of 'A-' from audiences on CinemaScore.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 36% · review count: 132; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5.2 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Young Artist Award · Best Performance in a Feature Film · win; Young Artist Award · Best Performance in a Feature Film · nomination
- Production trivia
- CJ Adams was cast in the titular role after working with Peter Hedges in 'Dan in Real Life'.; Some scenes were shot on location at the Cherokee County Arts Center in downtown Canton, Georgia.; The film was one of the first films produced by Scott Sanders Productions after a deal with the Walt Disney Studios was made in 2007.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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