Bad Pic, I know!
My mom and I took the kids to see the new Disney movie: The Odd Life of Timothy Green last week. By kids I mean my four girls and my brother’s three kids. We were quite the crew ranging from 6 to 14 years old. It is so fun to go out with all of them now that they are potty trained and can sit through the whole movie. I love my babies, but there are wonderful advantages to having older kids!
Since the previews have been running on this movie, the kids have been wanting to watch it and I was excited to see it as well. It did not disappoint. I laughed and cried and the kids laughed and really enjoyed it. They didn’t quite get me crying at the beginning of it and tolerated me crying at the end.
A brief premise without giving anything away: A couple Jim and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton ) are told by their infertility physician that they have done everything they could have, but will not be able to have a child. The couple are heartbroken and express their grief in a unique and beautiful little ceremony. A child comes to them magically and they experience the amazing thing that is parenthood. The background story of a small town that makes pencils nicely frames this family film.
I was touched that the pain of infertility was given such an honest portrayal. While I’ve never suffered from it, I still feel so tender towards though who struggle with infertility. Timothy literally shows up as a miracle and they claim their parenthood status as we all do: with happiness, cluelessness and love.
The adoption theme in the film was awesome. It was understated really, with little mention of actual adoption. The sister in the movie voiced the typical negative comments that come with adoption, especially older child adoption, with comments like “You never know what you are getting.” ” I thought you were going to have your own?”. Her character was effective in teaching people how hurtful comments like these are.
The new parent mistakes and conversations were so endearing and sent me back to the early days of parenthood. The second-guessing, the overly concerned packing of the backpack is really comical.
I would be doing a disservice to adoptive parents if I didn’t point out that the movie didn’t show the struggles of parenting an older child who through adoption (or through gardening as this movie has it!). There are unique struggles. While I would love for older child adoption to become more prevalent, I do want prospective adoptive parents to be fully aware of reality.
I highly recommend this movie to families and kids 7 and up. I say 7 because Elle enjoyed it, I don’t think nephew, age 6, was totally following it though. It could possible confuse younger kids who are in the adoption world at how Timothy comes to be and the end of the story, so it may be prudent for parents to watch first if you fall in this category (adoptees, siblings of adoptees).
If I had a star system I would say 5 out of 5 stars for sure with The Odd Life of Timothy Green!
(Disclaimer: I was not asked to review this movie, just really liked it and found it applicable to my life. Minus leaves of course. I cannot grow a weed!)
See, even just reading “you never know what you’re going to get,” as a birth family, I just can’t let my kids watch that right now, especially considering some processing going on here.
I want to see the movie but am not sure Charlie has any interest in it.
Good to know infertility is shown honestly as well as the hurtful comments towards adoption. Of course those kind of statements are made with infant adoption too. We got the “you never know what you’re going to get” with Charlie.
Truth be told – you don’t know what you are going to get with children regardless of how you “get” them!! Adoption or birth, baby or older child – everything and anything is up for grabs when it comes to kids.