by Sheryl Wall
Special coupon for Dinuba Platinum Theatre at the end of this review.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green is about a couple named Jim and Cindy Green, played by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner, that have tried to have a baby and are disappointed yet again after their last doctor visit. They go home and try to go on with life realizing they will never be parents. To cope they end up writing down what they envision their child to be like, and their hopes and dreams for their child. They put those in a box and bury it in the garden. In the night there is a thunderstorm and they awake to find a boy in their home that calls them Mom and Dad. 
The couple soon discovers that the child is named Timothy, which is the only boy name on their list of baby names. They also are surprised to discover that the child came from the garden where they buried the box. Timothy, played by CJ Adams, is taken into their home as their son but when they introduce him to family at first many do not accept him. Timothy is a sweet and very likable boy and he befriends a young girl Joni Jerome, played by Odeya Rush.
The story goes through many scenes of how Timothy and his parents become a family. Timothy has leaves on his legs, and throughout the movie the leaves start falling off. Each leaf he loses plays a significant part in the movie, and every one he holds onto for a special purpose. Jim and Cindy are telling this story to an adoption agency which they are trying to convince to allow them to adopt a child.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a very inspiring story. It touches on adoption, which is a very significant aspect of my life. When I saw the people in their lives that at first didn’t accept Timothy as a real part of the family, it irked me because I have seen the lack of acceptance of adoption in reality and know how hurtful this train of thought can be to a person. But I also know that having it in the movie is important because I know that is what many adoptive parents face.
I loved this movie and found it to be a very touching story and the plot of how the child came from the garden is such a unique and creative storyline. I liked the unique relationships that Timothy formed throughout the movie especially with the young girl Joni. They found friendship through their differences. Timothy managed to touch the lives of everyone he met and he was not afraid to be himself. This is a great movie for the whole family to enjoy. What a great way to end the summer by seeing such an inspiring story as The Odd Life of Timothy Green.
Check out the movie website for a trailer.
ParaNorman
ParaNorman is a movie about a young boy named Norman (voice of Kodi Smitt McPhee) who is misunderstood by his family and bullied and laughed at by his classmates in school. Norman can see dead people but nobody believes him so they think he is a freak. However, one boy named Neil who also was bullied because he was overweight, befriends Norman and even asks him to find his dog for him who died from being run over by a dog rescue truck. Quite Ironic if you ask me. 
The story becomes more dark and adventurous once Mr. Pentergast, Norman’s Uncle, dies and comes to tell Norman that he must save the town from the curse of the witch by reading a book he has in his home. Norman sets out on this new adventure a bit skeptical but determined, and once he finds the book discovers it’s a fairy tale book to put the witch to sleep. However, he is too late to stop the zombies and the witch from awakening and the chase begins. Neil and his big brother, along with Norman’s sister and the bully from school, find themselves in the middle of this dark adventure with Norman.
Although ParaNorman is an animated film, I would not recommend taking young children to see it. I think the movie is more geared toward adults and older children. Most younger children would be scared or the movie would simply go over their heads. That being said, I loved it, and my husband loved it enough that he wants to go see it again. It is definitely a dark fantasy and can be compared to movies like Coraline or Nightmare Before Christmas. Though it isn’t quite as good in my opinion as those movies, it’s still really good and worth seeing. One of the funniest scenes was when a guy was getting some chips out of a vending machine just as he saw the zombies coming toward him. He screamed, but was still trying to hold out for the chips to fall out of the slot. He wanted the chips more then he was scared of the zombies so he went back for them.
When I first heard about the movie, I really wasn’t sure if I would like it but decided to give it a try anyways. Now I have to say I am really glad I did because it was really good and not a movie you want to miss.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green & ParaNorman are now playing at Dinuba Platinum Theatres 6. Showtimes can be found on their website.
Print this coupon and enjoy a special discount for Kings River Life readers only!
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