When it comes to children, you’re never really quite sure about how that conversation could go. Kids have some wild imaginations, for one thing. Not to mention, kids don’t have filters. Or if they do, they don’t believe in them. So when CBS said that kids say the darndest things, they weren’t lying. Think back to when you were that age. What did you dream of being? I remember wanting to be an actor, so badly. To an extent, I reached that dream in high school. I guess. I had a love for movies so deeply that at some point, I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to do something with movies. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love doing podcasts and movie reviews.
Then again, I’m just a movie guy. I love the details of knowing how something like film is made. Where ideas come from, what directors have to say about certain shots, etc. When I’m doing something like, writing this article, it just seems natural to me. When I’m having conversations about movies, it just feels right. Bringing in that passion and mixing it with my drive to tell people of hope and suicide prevention and you get this. But, what about you? What did you want to be as a kid? Did any of that childish ambition manifest anything into adulthood? I want to introduce you to a kid who has some serious desires for adulthood and a wild imagination. Meet Timmy Failure.
In his first cinematic outing, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, we’re introduced to fifth-grader, Timmy Failure, who runs his own detective agency with his polar bear. Things get personal for Timmy when he has to open a case to find his missing segue or as he dubs it, the “Failure-Mobile”. Failure comes to us from 13 Reasons Why (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2) & Spotlight director, Tom McCarthy, who doubles as co-writer with source material author, Stephen Pastis. Both of whom manage to create a very warm and pure environment for viewers. Which feels rarity in today’s cinematic climate to find a film pure of heart. McCarthy and Pastis craft a tale of really smart, yet dry, humor that allows the film to feel like a throwback to Disney’s glory days. There is an innocence to the film that is refreshing throughout your entire viewing experience.
While wonders are roaming wild the scene they are equally as high on screen. A relatively unknown cast leads Failure & honestly, it adds another layer of refreshment. Not to say that there is anything wrong with known names but I love discovering new talents. Equally, we love being able to introduce and suggest new talent to people when talking about independent movies. Failure is such a case. Sure, you have known personalities like Craig Robinson and Wallace Shawn involved. However, they are the farthest thing from performances audiences will be impacted by. At its’ core, sure you have a boy and his overactive imagination, but even more than that it’s a story of a single mother raising her son and trying to find love again.
There is a lot of the story, characters and world in general that breathes into the charm of the movie. Orphelia Lovibond is fantastically casted as the single mother. There is a level of boldness that her character brings to the story which allows it to be honest. Fearlessly showcasing the modern struggles of a single mother, providing for her family, while also looking for that connection again to love. Lovibond manages to leave an impactful impression demonstrating such struggles. Kyle Bornheimer plays Lovibond’s partner in crime, Crispin. While Bornheimer doesn’t specifically shine as bright as Lovibond, he adds a naturally fun layer to the film. There’s a natural chemistry that he has with Lovibond, but its even more entertaining to see his chemistry with Timmy, played by Winslow Fegley. Fegley for a young actor manages to do a decent job at carrying a large portion of the film.
We live in a day and age now, where kids movies are extremely hit or miss. If they’re led by kids sometimes, they can be even worse. Let’s be honest, kids can’t always act that well. To play the weight of a movie upon them really depends on the quality of the film. That is fair from the case of Failure and having Fegley at the center of the movie only solidifies that point. His sense of humor throughout plays extremely well into the film. His sense of deadpan delivery is the hidden genius of the movie. For all its’ charm, the movie can be a bit shattered at times. Throughout the film’s first act, we see many things occur to the Timmy but there is no cohesion for actual narrative. That’s really its’ major failure (pun intended) the narrative seems directionless until the halfway point. Things just seem to happen with little rhyme or reason.
Overall, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, is anything but failing. The film is an intelligently written and acted piece of cinema that will bring the whole family together. Failure feels refreshing, due to its’ innocent nature, its’ overtly fun environment and its honesty in depicting today’s modern family. The cast at its core with single mother, Orphelia Lovibond, & son, Winslow Fegley, manage to provide audiences a solid foundation. The sweet and charming nature extends to its’ background cast as well. However, there is a bit of failure in its narrative. The first act never feels like it builds to any larger. By the time we get to the second and third act, all of its predecessor information, feels lost. Occasionally, plot points are brought up, but they are quickly forgotten. Buckle up and hop on the case, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made is too charming to miss.
RORSCHACH RATING:
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written and produced by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey. Music by Yuriy Bespalov & Beggars. Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made is property of Disney. We do not own nor claim any rights.