The problem with the film is that the parents of Timothy are god awful. Jennifer Gardner and Joel Edgerton are very talented actors. But the script they were given was really bad. The whole film is them living through Timothy. The parents hardly ever ask how Timothy feels. They basically force him to do a Music recital. They force him to join a soccer/football team. The only point of these scenes is so the parents can show off. Joel Edgerton shows of to his father when Timothy is in the soccer/football game. Jennifer Gardner shows off to her sister at the music recital. By the way the music recital scene is one of the cringiest things ever put to film. The worst part of the movie is at the end when they say they will make "better mistakes" after trying to convince a adoption agency to allow them to adopt. You don't make "better mistakes" you make mistakes and you learn from them. They also have a love interest for Timothy, but the parents for some unexplained reason dislike her and tell him to get away from her. However I do acknowledge how much the actors are trying their best with the script they've been given.At no point do they look like their phoning it in. Also the scene were they say goodbye to Timothy is quite heartwarming . The actor who plays Timothy (CJ Adams) is surprisingly good as well but the character was a bit too underwritten for you to care what happened to him. But the film struggle's to get the message it's trying to convey across. It's one of those you come away from a bit confused to what the message was about. It's not terrible but it's not good enough for me to recommended it to someone. A good premise but poor delivery.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a beautiful, sweet story of a childless couple who reap the benefits - and unintended consequences - of wish fulfillment. It's framed as a fantasy, but it is leavened with dollops of honesty, education, and wonder.Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy (Jennifer Garner) Green have been trying, trying, trying to have a baby. Their fertility doctor informs them that despite all of their efforts, the couple simply cannot conceive. Devastated, Cindy wants them to accept the facts and just move on, but Jim cannot let go. His coping mechanism is for each of them to write some attribute that they believe their child would have had (based on themselves) on pieces of notepaper, put the papers into a wooden box, and bury the box in the backyard garden. This they do, and during a highly unusual thunderstorm that night, they discover an unusual young boy in their house, muddy and wet - and with leaves on his lower legs.His name is Timothy, and he calls Jim and Cindy "Mom" and "Dad." At first, Jim and Cindy believe young Timothy to be a runaway - but the leaves on his legs and the big hole in their garden lead them to suspect otherwise. And so, after so much time spent anxiously wishing for a baby of their own, the couple is now thrust full speed into the realm of parenthood. And I do mean full speed, for the very next morning various family members arrive for an outdoor party that apparently our two adults have forgotten all about.Through Timothy, we meet the gang. Jim's dad Big Jim (David Morse) is the sort of smug, arrogant guy that most people take an instant dislike to; conversely, Cindy's Aunt Mel (Lois Smith) and Uncle Bub (M. Emmet Walsh) are the very picture of a lovely older couple. Then there's Cindy's sister Brenda (Rosemarie DeWitt) and her husband Franklin (Ron Livingston), who happens to be Jim's boss at the local pencil-manufacturing plant. Brenda and Franklin famously natter on about their overachieving three-kid brood, something that consistently rankles Cindy.Timothy's effect on everyone around him is noticeable. Much like Pollyanna, the glad girl, Timothy seems to make everyone happy, even the cranky sorts like Big Jim. But yes, he is a bit of an oddity, and poor Jim and Cindy are torn between raising a so-called normal child and allowing Timothy to be himself. That does sound treacly, like an Afterschool Special. But somehow, it's not. We don't know where Timothy came from. We don't know why he has leaves on his legs and what they may signify. Those things aren't important to this story, because this is really a tale about not having all of the answers and doing the best anyway. In other words, it's about making mistakes and learning from them.The movie also provides such a great perspective on being a parent (and I say this as a non-parent); Jim and Cindy are bewildered, beset by the ghosts of parents past and present. They try too hard, as one might expect from new parents. Never is this more evident than when Timothy finds himself on the school's soccer team (coached by rapper Common). Yes, they become soccer parents. And Timothy is not some savior who magically makes everything come out just grand. He knows who or what he is, but he is not infallible. In fact, there are many, many things he doesn't know (for example, how to swim).I really appreciated the ending. Yes, it's sad and bittersweet, but it's so packed with emotion that the effect is very powerful indeed. Garner and Dianne Wiest, who plays Cindy's boss, are both excellent, and young CJ Adams (seen in the most recent Godzilla adaptation) is stunning.

I loved this movie. Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner make a wonderful set of parents. I love both of them on any day and as enthusiastic and lovable parents they are fantastic. A lovely and moving fairy tale a sort of Cinderella in reverse. Sympathetic moving and lovable. I like Benjamin Button and this is sort of like it. The child is sympathetic and has a great future as an actor - he played the role really well. I just love slice of life movies and this is a good one. Joel Edgerton is a wonderful Australian actor serious but full of enthusiasm and good will. (See The Secret Life of Us if you want to know why). Jennifer Garner is 13 going on 30 all over again - gentle and honest. I just love it.

I have been a fan of family movies and shows and this might top my list.Garner's acting is exceptional and yes I love her so much!! He is this mother-type of an actress and I'm glad she is in this movie because I can't imagine this movie without her.Timothy is so cool and it gives a refreshing mood for all the audience and it made me love the movie more. It is refreshing and an easy-going film. Not heavy on drama, not heavy on comedy, just the right amount of every emotion and it is rare to see a movie with this combination.Kudos to the director and staffs, it is well-made and it is a family movie that you wouldn't want to miss!I recommend the movie to everyone, in all ages!