About.com Rating

Bottom line:The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a live-action modern day fairy tale from Disney. Contains some thematic elements regarding infertility, family, and death that may be overly mature for very young viewers.
MPAA Rating: PG, for mild thematic elements and brief language
Guide age recommendation: 7+
Genre: Comedy/drama
Runtime: Approx. 100 minutes
Release Date: August 15, 2012

The Odd Life of Timothy Green - Overview

In this modern day fairy tale, happily married couple Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) share a dream that many other couples share: children.

Both are devastated by the news that a child of their own will not be a possibility. The two return to their home in the small town of Stanleyville and attempt to bring closure to their broken hearts by listing the traits their own child certainly would have been gifted with. They then bury their dream in the garden and say goodnight.

Miraculously, young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up in their garden during a strange storm that night. At first, Cindy and Jim are shocked and confused, but having wanted a child so badly, they soon get over it and simply accept that Timothy came to be their son. The challenges and tender experiences of parenthood hit Jim and Cindy all at once as their new son adapts to his new world and they adapt to being Mom and Dad.

Timothy is both innocent and wise, a student and a teacher. But there is something strange about this young man -- he has leaves sprouting out of his legs. Jim and Cindy try to hide the leaves and help Timothy appear normal, but his friend Joni (Odeya Rush) accepts Timothy for who he is.

As the leaves begin to change and fall, Timothy quietly accepts that he and his new parents must make the most of the time they have together.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green - Guide Review for Parents

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is well described as an odd sort of tale. Though it can be a tearjerker, the movie is generally family friendly. However, some of the thematic material, such as the couple's struggle with infertility, is difficult for children to relate to and may even be disturbing. If kids are old enough to understand and appreciate the film, the story holds a gentle, magical charm that unfurls as Timothy reminds us all that time is short, life is meaningful, and we all have unique gifts to give and receive.

The movie is a modern day fairy tale, and as such, the story shouldn't be taken literally, but more as a fable that teaches a lesson. Kids can learn from the story as they see what an unusual fairy tale set in modern times looks like. The story also deals with acceptance, heartache and loss, so it's also useful to bring up such topics as a family and discuss why difficult things happen in life and how to overcome the challenges through strength and love.

Young kids may not understand the movie. They may even be disturbed by the couple's initial distress, by the ways Timothy's parents try to deal with his idiosyncrasies, or by the fact that Timothy cannot stay. The movie also contains a few scenes that involve bullying as well as some brief, mild language.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green - Content Overview

*May contain spoilers.

• Violence (Low): Some bullying occurs in the movie, as well as some rough play. In one scene, bullies cover Timothy with food. In another, he kicks a girl in the face as he tries to get away from her in the swimming pool.
• Scary Scenes (Low): Very young children may be frightened by the mysterious storm that brings Timothy or scenes listed under "violence."
• Sex/Nudity (Low): A couple of kisses are shown in the movie.
• Drugs and Alcohol (Low): People are shown drinking wine in a couple of scenes in the movie.
• Language (Low): The word "hell" is used. "Oh God," or variations of the phrase, is used a few times.
• Disrespectful/Imitative Behavior (High): The bullying scenes depict insensitive, mean behavior that is also portrayed to be somewhat comical. Cindy talks back to her boss.Jim's boss steals an idea. Cindy's sister says all the wrong things when it comes to talking about Jim and Cindy's child. The sister is also prideful and always trying to show that her children are the best.

• Sad/Unsettling Scenes (High): Jim and Cindy are devastated by the news that they can't have children. Uncle Bub dies. Timothy has to leave, which is painful for Cindy and Jim, but Timothy seems to be sad but at peace with it.
• Movie Topics Kids Might Have Questions About: adoption, the fact that "babies come from mommies' tummies," bullying, dying, family, competition, individuality, differences, honesty, first love

Disclosure: The studio provided a free screening of this movie for review purposes. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.