Warsaw Community Public Library News
‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ Grows On You
By KATHY STUTZMAN
WCPL PR Manager
and
MELISSA KELLEY
Cataloging Supervisor
You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when listening to carols or watching Christmas movies? Without warning, you discover yourself humming or singing along with the radio, and somehow your spirit feels uplifted despite what might be swirling around your life at the moment.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green uplifts your spirit in much the same way. Read on as Melissa Kelley, cataloging supervisor, shares her thoughts on the movie.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a modern day fable, a simple story about parenting, healing the wounds of childhood and familial love.
When Cindy and Jim Green learn they’re unable to have children, they spend one last night fantasizing about the child who will never inhabit their lives. They scribble the boy’s imagined attributes on pieces of paper, put them in a wooden box, and bury it in the yard.
Then a strange thing occurs as they sleep. A freak storm arrives, pouring rain on just their house. Something stirs in the garden, and they discover a real, live boy has sprouted from their garden and despite the fact that he looks like a normal child, he has leaves near his ankles.. His name is Timothy. As the Greens get to know Timothy they come to realize he personifies every trait they wrote on their buried list and uses these traits to repair rifts and brighten lives.
Jennifer Garner makes a funny and cool mom and Joel Edgerton is a kind-hearted dad who has his own childhood issues. The boy who plays Timothy (CJ Adams) is beyond adorable. He, in my opinion, is the real star of the show and the best part of the film.
What Timothy Green does best is capture the sadness of infertility, celebrate the eccentricities of an endearing child, and probe the longings, fears, and worries of parents. It also reminds us of the brevity of childhood and how as parents we all make mistakes. What’s more, the movie stresses the importance of family and how one person’s life can touch and inspire so many others.
The moral of this story? Love while you can, because nothing is forever, especially childhood. Come to the Warsaw Community Public Library and pick up this movie and make it a family night.
Looking for a year-end deduction? Keep the Library’s endowment fund in mind. It is managed by the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. Help grow our fund and keep the library open for years to come. Call 574-267-6011 for more information.
The library is closed Tuesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, December 26 with an early 5 p.m. closing on Monday, Dec. 31.