Jennifer Garner on 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' and motherhood
Jennifer Garner talks about her new movie, "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" at a Mamarazzi event in New York City on Aug. 14, 2012. Credit: AP
It's been an exciting year for actress Jennifer Garner.
In February, Garner and her husband, Ben Affleck, welcomed their third child, Samuel, who joined sisters Violet, 6, and Seraphina, 3. And her new movie, Disney's “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” opened Wednesday.
Written and directed by Peter Hedges, the sweet story follows Cindy (Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton), a childless couple who decide to bury a box of wishes in their backyard only to discover a 10-year-old boy, Timothy, (CJ Adams) in their bedroom the next day. The apprehensive yet excited couple soon realize the young boy was not a typical adolescent.
This was Garner's first on-screen “mom” role and it was as if the part was made specifically for her. She believes Hedges understands what it's like to be a parent, which is why she was drawn to the movie.
“He understands motherhood and parenthood and how confusing it is when you're trying your hardest but you keep getting in your kids' way,” said Garner at a recent a recent Mamarazzi event hosted by The Moms, Melissa Gerstein and Denise Albert, and Lipton Tea & Honey in Manhattan on the eve of the “Odd Life” premiere.
The movie's message, said Garner, is about forgiveness, acceptance and pursuing your dreams. “The movie reminds you to forgive yourself, to not judge yourself so much and to not judge your kids, which is a shameful thing to think about but we've all been there at some point in time,” she said.
So how does this busy mother of three balance it all?
“The balance thing? It just doesn't exist,” she laughed. “You just have to accept it. You just have to know that nothing is perfect and everyone is going to survive. You try to hit the high points and you miss some of those but you try to make as many ... as you possibly can.”
Garner said you just need a community around you to help out.
“Honestly, my job is pretty great for having kids,” she said. “It's hard because we have to travel and so now that I have one in elementary school, it's going to change. I can't just pick up everyone and go so I'm not sure how that is going to play out.”
Garner attributes her balancing success to a great mom, mother-in-law and nanny. “I have a great nanny, so don't think that I don't, because I do,” she said. “Usually it works out that for most of the time I am working, my husband is off.”
