By Dellanira Alcauter, Amos Alonzo Staff High School, Stockton, California

You have a lifelong dream and in a mere second, it’s crushed. Do you keep hope of it coming true? Do you begin to believe in miracles? Or do you just give it up and forget?

In the case of Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) from the new film “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” giving up is not a possibility. Even though it wasn’t written for them to have a child, they will not give up.

The story of Timothy Green is definitely one worth setting time aside for.

Defying science and logic, they plant all the qualities they have been wishing for in their child.

And, to their surprise, that child comes to them. However, along with all of their wishes coming true come hardships. As in any case, there is the problem of being accepted in society, and surprisingly in a family, too.

For each quality that Timothy (CJ Adams) received came a leaf on his leg. Little do they know that his attachment to Mother Nature is going to become their biggest heartache.

Throughout the movie there are valuable lessons to learn and be reminded of. We take things for granted and then, when they’re gone, we realize we’ve let them slip right through our fingers. This movie is the perfect example of this. Many young people nowadays are not family oriented and they take their family for granted. However, that is one of the biggest messages this movie portrays, to appreciate our family.

Among other lessons is the typical “don’t give up.” When the local pencil factory is on the verge of closing, Timothy encourages his father to try a new approach at things and invent a new pencil.

They don’t settle with just sitting there and doing nothing, they take matters into their own hands and persevere.

This lesson can be well applied to students both on this campus and around Stockton.

Most students don’t take on new challenges and more rigorous courses here due to the fear of not being capable enough, and the environment around them. They give up before they have even begun. Watching this film helps instill true inspiration.

Besides having an overall great storyline and important lessons, this film has terrific acting. Both Garner and Edgerton captivate the audience’s attention throughout the whole film. It seems as though they were hand picked for these roles.

The audience is like a mirror, reflecting back the emotions the characters masterfully portray.

Even though CJ Adams is 12 years old and has only acted in two films including this one, his acting is superb. If the audience didn’t know any better, they’d think he was actually the little boy Timothy. He portrays his character almost flawlessly. In one particular scene, he tells his parents that he likes a girl from his school and when he expresses what he feels to his parents, you can’t tell that in reality they are complete strangers and don’t have the bond that a child and parents would.

The journey Timothy takes them through is like no other they have experienced. Cindy, Jim and the audience learn what it means to truly appreciate family and persevere in whatever goals they set themselves to.