Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

I DO know where to start . . . because everything about this was awful. This is a moving about nothing. In fact it is in many ways very disturbing. No character in this movies is likeable in any way. The story . . . well, there isn't one. I just tried to imagine how the pitch for this movie went. They must have lied.

I get this is a children's movie, but there was very little to entertain kids age 2, 6, 10, 11, and 13. After about 10 minutes I was done a but at I kept thinking surely it gets better. I can't believe how much money they spent on such a boring plot. Disney's Togo and Lady and the Tramp was far better. I hope future Disney+ is better than this.

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.

Started watching this on Disney Plus UK and genuinely thought it would get better after the first half an hour.... Needless to say, it didn't. The kid (Timmy Failure) just comes across as an arrogant little brat, only doing whatever he regards as important. The mother character could do with being a bit more assertive & actually paying attention to what her son is doing. The best thing about the film is the Polar Bear, even though it's hard to tell if said Polar Bear can actually be seen by other person or if it is only in Timmy's imagination. The tagline of the film: "Mistakes Were Made" should definitely refer to the film itself, as it was definitely a mistake making the film.

This kid's inner narrative, as well as his laser focus on the imaginary while remaining oblivious to the obvious, will be reminiscent a lot of our own childhoods if we grew up with undiagnosed autism.