Director Peter Hedges Discusses 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green'
When you talk to writer and director Peter Hedges ('What's Eating Gilbert Grape', 'Dan In Real Life', 'About a Boy'), it's easy to get lost in the passion of his words. However, what was really impressive was the way he communicated with his eyes. While explaining the process, cast and vision behind The Odd Life of Timothy Green, his eyes continuously widened and watered. Not only was Hedges describing how he hoped the audience would feel, it was apparent it was something he also deeply felt. Out this Wednesday, Hedges' main goal was to highlight a slightly familiar story with magical elements and a trio of charming leads.
"I go to movies to escape, but the movies that I go back to are the ones that help me navigate life. They help me move through the world, make me see differently or see what I take for granted," he confesses. "Here was an opportunity to make one of those films, with all of the themes that matter most to me." The Odd Life tells the story of Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner). After being told they would be unable to conceive, the couple drink a bottle of wine and hypothesize their dream child onto pieces of paper. In an attempt to move forward, they bury their wishes in a box in the backyard, only to be awoken in the morning by a 10 year-old boy named Timothy (CJ Adams) claiming to be their son. Without questioning his arrival or the strange leaves growing from his legs, the Greens absorbed the beauty and importance of unexpected love and loss.
Despite all of its extraordinary moments, The Odd Life is really about the journey of family. "Yes they get this kid in a magical way," explains Hedges. "But ultimately at the core, it's about loving and longing." The casting of Garner, Edgerton, Adams and newcomer Odeya Rush as Timothy's best friend, helped to cement the director's intentions. The four shared remarkable chemistry throughout, with their solid connections striking both emotional and relatable notes for the audience as well as the director. A parent of two, Hedges found himself changed by his experience working on the film and its universal theme. "You write about what you love, what you think about, what you care most about," he admits, "and the good thing about family is that we all have them".
Working closely with two-time Oscar winning cinematographer John Toll, Hedges stuck to a distinct autumn color palette that painted the fictional city of Stanleyville with so much warmth and small town comfort. As Jim and Cindy bask in the miracle of their sudden family, their surroundings teased a change in season while foreshadowing their son’s own leaves. "Autumn is such a mournful and wonderful time," the director insists. "Where you can feel the beauty, but it's fading."
Hedges' final and perhaps most important contribution to this remarkable and heartwarming story of Timothy Green is so subtle that it could be easily overlooked. On top of the wooden box that Jim and Cindy used to place the papers containing their fictional child's qualities, was a well-worn stuffed animal. "That stuffed bunny belonged to my mother," he says, eyes filling with water. "I put it there to remind me that this, all of this is all for her."
The Odd Life of Timothy Green hits theaters Wednesday, August 15th.
"I go to movies to escape, but the movies that I go back to are the ones that help me navigate life. They help me move through the world, make me see differently or see what I take for granted," he confesses. "Here was an opportunity to make one of those films, with all of the themes that matter most to me." The Odd Life tells the story of Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner). After being told they would be unable to conceive, the couple drink a bottle of wine and hypothesize their dream child onto pieces of paper. In an attempt to move forward, they bury their wishes in a box in the backyard, only to be awoken in the morning by a 10 year-old boy named Timothy (CJ Adams) claiming to be their son. Without questioning his arrival or the strange leaves growing from his legs, the Greens absorbed the beauty and importance of unexpected love and loss.
Despite all of its extraordinary moments, The Odd Life is really about the journey of family. "Yes they get this kid in a magical way," explains Hedges. "But ultimately at the core, it's about loving and longing." The casting of Garner, Edgerton, Adams and newcomer Odeya Rush as Timothy's best friend, helped to cement the director's intentions. The four shared remarkable chemistry throughout, with their solid connections striking both emotional and relatable notes for the audience as well as the director. A parent of two, Hedges found himself changed by his experience working on the film and its universal theme. "You write about what you love, what you think about, what you care most about," he admits, "and the good thing about family is that we all have them".
Working closely with two-time Oscar winning cinematographer John Toll, Hedges stuck to a distinct autumn color palette that painted the fictional city of Stanleyville with so much warmth and small town comfort. As Jim and Cindy bask in the miracle of their sudden family, their surroundings teased a change in season while foreshadowing their son’s own leaves. "Autumn is such a mournful and wonderful time," the director insists. "Where you can feel the beauty, but it's fading."
Hedges' final and perhaps most important contribution to this remarkable and heartwarming story of Timothy Green is so subtle that it could be easily overlooked. On top of the wooden box that Jim and Cindy used to place the papers containing their fictional child's qualities, was a well-worn stuffed animal. "That stuffed bunny belonged to my mother," he says, eyes filling with water. "I put it there to remind me that this, all of this is all for her."
The Odd Life of Timothy Green hits theaters Wednesday, August 15th.
Feed Source:
Gofobo Staff
Author:
Tristen Gacoscos
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