Movie Review: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

            I like movies. Even more, I like movies that make me feel. Those are rare. So when I walked into theater 6 to see The Odd Life of Timothy Green, I knew the film’s quirkiness would grab me from the beginning. The previews looked promising (but we all know what that means), and I couldn’t wait to see it despite my trailer-rule-of-thumb misgivings.

            The movie started off with a punch when you realize that the two parents (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) are unable to have kids, and the emotion Garner displays is completely believable. When they take that one night to imagine what their kid would be like, I felt so sad for them. They couldn’t have one of their own. They’d never experience that. Man.

            Punch in the face number one.

            Then when Timothy appeared? That was so cute. The kid’s acting was praiseworthy, and I say he has a great future ahead of him. But I digress.

            Let’s see, how many times did this movie punch me in the face?

            Great plot and relatable, believable, lovable, hateable characters? Punch number two.

            Sweetness that relates to life and relationships, and how the touch of one kind person can reach so many people in one fell swoop? Punch number three.

            Timothy’s very essence of kindness and showing love to everyone he meets? His lack of judgment and the honesty he portrays that touched not only his parents, but the people his parents came into contact with, including the stiff-necked adoption agents? Punch number four.

            I will confess something that has only ever happened once in the entirety of my movie watching career. Timothy Green made me cry. Honest-to-goodness tears that leaked out onto my face. Silent sobs that shook my shoulders and chest. I hated the ending (no spoiler alert), but at the same time I loved it. I understood it, but it still made me so sad. Sad and touched and happy and . . . all kinds of crap. Good crap.

            The only thing that could have been put into the film was a little explanation of where Timothy had come from. That would have topped off the French silk pie with chocolate shavings. Mmmmmmm….pie.

            With four punches in the face and counting, not to mention the sheer goodness of this film, I give Timothy an unprecedented Six kernels out of five. (Yes, I have the power to bend fractions. This is my blog. I call the shots.) Congratulations, Timothy Green. You made me cry.

Novel Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

            Okay. This is my last review for the night, and I’ll have to see more movies and read more books to get on the review train again. I haven’t been caught up in a while, so this is rather relieving for me. That stupid sticky won’t stare me down anymore. Ha! VICTORY.

            Moving on.

            Since I saw it on Wal-Mart shelves (I know, not the best place to book spy), I’ve wondered what Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was all about. Recently I ordered it and polished all 348 pages of it off in three days. Oh, it was that good.

            The story moves kind of slowly at first. We’re introduced to a not-so-hard-to-figure-out MC (main character) named Jacob Portman, and his grandfather tells stories about an island where the sun never stopped shining and peculiar children lived, himself included. Well, Jacob’s progression from his grandfather’s death to finally stepping through to the world that was told of if a somewhat tedious experience, but there are moments where you’re grabbed by the face and forced to keep reading, like when Jacob first finds the house. Then when he goes there and opens the trunk.

            When it comes to character, all the peculiar children—and even Miss Peregrine—were extremely well-written. But Jacob fell flat in places. Sometimes he just seemed like some whiny rich kid who was chasing after his grandfather’s stories for answers. Other times he was the heroic and conflicted hero we all want to see win. The flip may have been intentional, but the progression was slower than it needed to be.

            Two things saved this book: (1) the unique and refreshing integration of strange antique photographs to make the story come to life, and (2) the crazy-creative villains and wide-open space for a series. I. Hated. Dr. Golan. Period. What a jerkbag! Oh, I knew there was something fishy about him, especially when he was at the airport, but the end clinched it for me. And what an end for him. Ha. Take that, nosy parker.

Ransom Riggs’ debut novel could have used some major polishing in some areas, but when Jacob transformed into the hero (finally) I couldn’t wait to keep turning the pages. For Pete’s sake, Emma was such a BA, she outshined Jacob the entire time. No pun intended.

One thing I didn’t appreciate was the unnecessary use of excessive language. A cuss here or there doesn’t bother me, but when you take the Lord’s name in vain? There’s never any call for that, I don’t care how dramatic a scene may be. Minor cusses, fine. Misusing God’s name, not okay. That’s a huge factor in lowering the book’s score. I give it Four flipped pages out of Ten.