Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Timmy Failure is a fun, creative little movie with a few surprisingly good moments that somehow doesn't add up to a great flick. There's an awkwardness here that seems partly intentional and yet its still awkward. There's also a polar bear that's funny at times but also complete nonsense.

This is a kids movie though so maybe kids would get more out of it. It's not bad, it's just not amazing either.

I have been really surprised about the comments I have read for this movie so far as they suggest many people may have been mistaken about what it is about. The movie is not specifically for children which is where some of the confusion potentially comes from (given it is based on children's books) because a lot of the heavy dialogue (and little action) may go over their heads.

Timmy is a little boy who is rather disruptive & oblivious of most. His behaviour most likely however represents someone with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (unfortunately most comments so far suggest many people are unfamiliar with what this is). Timmy struggles with understanding what is going on around him & in order to deal with his life, has created a world that makes sense to him.

The characters of Mr Jenkins, Crispin & Patty are brilliant because they take Timmy seriously & recognise that he is not meaning to be rude; quite to the contrary, he is trying his best to do what is right. What is fantastic about these characters is that they model strategies to help him be successful, without destroying his identity. The movie also highlights the importance of differentiated learning so that all individuals are able to engage (as opposed to Mr Crocus' antiquated methods when dealing with atypical learners).

This movie is quietly affirming for those of us in close contact with children on the spectrum. It is a brilliant window into how the world might seem to them (& be different to ours) and is a reminder that we need to have patience and that eventually, with persistence it will all make sense. The movie is refreshing because it Is realistic; it is confusing and awkward at times, just like life is for any child that is feeling uncertain.

Overall I thought this movie was good fun, something for a single viewing but not to put on a "Favorites" list for repeated viewing. In a nod to the title, it does feel like "Mistakes Were Made" in production; the movie feels incomplete. Like a car missing a seat, rear view mirror, a radio, and a tire. Whether some key scenes were left out, or cut for time, there is a sense that with appropriate tweaking this movie could have been much better. Additional background into what prompted this child to create the fantasy world he put himself in; why a polar bear?; what is the obsession with Russian spies?; what's up with the scarf? There are many things hinted at or teased, but we are not shown the reason for them. The potential is there, and other movies have used similar plot devices successfully, but like my car analogy there are parts missing.

Watched this with my kids (8 & 10) and we loved it. Between the great casting and acting from everyone (especially Flo) to the main character's (Timmy Failure's) hard boiled and dry delivery of almost every line, this movie is spot on. Settle in for a fun detective adventure that weaves the quirkiness of Portland with the absurdities of an unsupervised, intelligent kid's imagination as he tries to solve his next case involving the class hamster, the "Russians", and a Segway.

But it's a very good joke - laugh out loud funny at times. And there's a lot more to it than that - this movie is well worth a watch.