The Odd Life of Timothy Green

This fantasy tale aims for the sort of live-action whimsy that Disney Studios used to specialise in, but it completely misfires. There's too much schmaltz and sentimentality in the story of a childless couple (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) who find a mud-covered boy in their garden the night after burying a wish-list that describes their dream offspring. His miraculous arrival shows up everyone's shortcomings, brings them courage and inspires them to invent a new type of pencil to save their small-town economy. Writer/director Peter Hedges (who penned About a Boy and What's Eating Gilbert Grape) strains to be cute and charming at every turn, and drains the film of any real wonder and magic. A terrific cast that includes Dianne Wiest and David Morse makes the most of underwritten roles but this is an uphill struggle. Not so much moving as stomach churning.