Announcer:   0:02
This is kicking and streaming podcast of binge watchers guides to streaming movies. TV series on stuff. Here are your hosts,Graham and Jocelyn.  

Graham:   0:16
Hello, everyone. And welcome to another episode of Kickin' & Streamin' here with you once again the Graham in the company, in social distancing guidelines in the company, of Jojo.  We're here with another episode. Of course, as we've tried to maintain course, maintained normalcy with the way we put out our episodes, even though we have noticed definitely a sort of, a decrease in how our episodes have been consumed. And it is. Of course, it makes sense because most of you  will listen to our episodes while commuting to work. And at this point there's a large majority of our listenership that is either working from home or simply have no time really to be listening to podcasts, so we understand. 

Jocelyn:   1:20
Yeah, and, um, yeah, you're you might have had a 45 minute commute before, and now you're just, you know, walking over to your computer or, ah, where you just, uh, got dealing with kids being home and and, uh, and other things like that. So But we're here.

Graham:   1:38
Yes, and, you know, it hasn't seized being a challenging time. And we understand that we are going through those challenges with you. I mean, as you know, we are here in the United States, which has become sort of like number one in cases as of now we're dealing with. And, uh but we know, you know, we're all going through the same thing. And we tried to put on every week an episode so that we can at least have some sense of normalcy. And, um, we hope you here for it. Yes. And this week, we are going to talk about his little Disney movie entitled Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, and I myself have just watch this movie, and I have a lot to say about it. Ah, uh um but I think we're gonna have fun talking about it. What do you think? So

Jocelyn:   2:57
I think so too.  I think so too. I am certain this one was kind of my pick in my suggestion for the show, because I am such a big fan of the writer behind it. Stephan Pastis, a fan of his life story as well. He ... I first was introduced to him through the comic strip Pearls before... Pearls before Swine, which was kind of, Ah, first for its time instead of being first in the newspapers or the funny papers of the comic strips on Sundays. It was one of the first cartoons to debut online, and it was kind of a the producers threw it up there as just a a way to see, you know, comics dot com. They put it on there, and it was we're like, we'll see how it does online before we actually waste ink on it because that's what the Internet was, back said. It wasn't the primary thing. Your newspaper was your primary thing, so it drew a lot of of attention. That drew a lot of criticism. It was controversial. It was hilarious. And so he finally got to to be in the newspapers. But his life story is interesting because he his he was a insurance defense attorney for about 10 years, so he had gone to college and everything passed. The bar, had become an attorney and hated it. I hated everything about being an attorney. He hated, see anxiety, of being an attorney. He hated his job, uh but what he loves doing was drawing little comic strips. And so he he finally, after a lot of work in between being attorney and everything, he finally ah decided to actually pursue his dream. It got to the point where he was like, I can't do this anymore. I, um you know, I I'm miserable and, uh is everything is so terrible. The only thing I have it's that's taking me out of this job is my little comic strip. That's that's makes me laugh. So maybe it'll make other people laugh, too. So he, uh, he eventually became very, uh, very popular. It's a hilarious comic strip. It has great characters. But then he went on to write a series of books based on a character named Timmy Failure, and this movie that we're talking about Timmy Failure Mistakes Were Made is based on the first book he wrote about Timmy failure, I think inspired a little bit by Diary of a Wimpy Kid and then also, of course, the Calvin and Hobbes characters because he he did draw inspiration from the creators of Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Waterson. They actually, uh, collaborated when Bill Waterson was retired, his he's notoriously reclusive. So they he actually got Bill Waterson to write a week's worth of his of his strip, which is a huge deal in the comics world. So it was. But it's it's very cool. It's kind of an homage to Calvin and Hobbes. And then, of course, it's its own thing, too. So Disney Plus decided to make a movie about it.

Graham:   6:19
Alright, so it is amazing that you know the story, the story of the back and forth of of these of these author. So, um, there we go Just discovering that Jocelyn is a comic nerd s Oh, yeah, there's that I was listening to you and I was like, amazed like  What? you see, because she knows everything about this dude and I was following by reading his bio. And I'm like, Every time I read something, you came up right with it, like bam and I'm like, OK, she's for real. So in the spirit of your knowledge of this, then I think, of course you should tell us what Timmy failure mistakes were made is about.

Jocelyn:   7:26
It's It's a It's a cute little movie. It's, ah, about an 11 year old boy with his own detective agency. It's set in Portland, Oregon, and all of the the whimsical Tween ISS of that town hit hits those notes pretty hard. Ah, the movie does. And ah, he runs this detective agency with the help of his, imaginary best friend who happens to be a 1200 lbs polar bear. So this movie is about a couple of little cases and a couple of things that happened in Timmy's life, and I think it's It's pretty cute. I don't know that it necessarily, uh, captures everything to do with the books. I have not read these books in particular, but I think it's worth well of the watch..

Graham:   8:16
Yeah, I mean, this is the first time I watch something that is based of a book, and I feel like, Okay, so now I have to go and read the book and the reason The reason why is because I always go back and ask people where there were they faithful to to the book where they you know how different, how much difference is there and somehow I don't even feel like asking anyone about this is just like I want. I want to go. I want to see the storytelling side of the book. And in that respect, how much more charming? The book makes Timmy for me, because I... So here's the thing. I watched a movie for the first half hour of the movie I had. I had a hard time sort of understanding the modus operandi of Timmy Failure right? And so at the end of the day, I started to figure out what was going on. But not because the story told me necessarily is because I now had enough information to understand that this is a kid with a huge imagination and at the same time has taken all of that imagination and converted it into his own coping mechanism with shit that are going on in his life. Yes,  and once I realize that all of these invention all of that imagination, all of those things where his coping mechanism. Then I saw the kid. Then I understood the movie. Then I found interest to continue watching the movie. And so I suppose my question is the fact that I struggled to get captivated by the movie in the first half hour is that something you think happened to me or is it particularly a failure in the movie itself?

Jocelyn:   10:49
I am gonna go towards it being a failure in the movie. I have to say I found the actor and I hate to say this, of course, because he's a kid actor, but he's not gonna hear this. So I found the little boy who played to me failure to maybe draw his inspiration a little too much from young Sheldon. Um, in some ways, maybe, maybe, and in some ways the producer and the director kind of pushing autism a little bit harder, as opposed to imagination. I'm of course not by any means saying that autistic Children could not have imagination. Timmy, maybe autistic. I have absolutely no idea. But it didn't feel like I don't know. It didn't feel like just a kid with imagination. It felt like we were kind of having an agenda pushed a little bit. So I feel like that kind of in some ways major sort of lose thes e. This is a kid with a huge imagination. This is a kid who kind of lives in a dream world. Everything that we're seeing on the screen isn't really necessarily happening at this moment. It's possibly happening in the mind of Timmy. I felt like the movie took a little while to find its footing in explaining that in a way that made sense.

Graham:   12:05
Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. I I was I was trying at some point, for instance, my wife even asked me so Nobody else noticed the fucking bear. And I'm like, I don't even know if the bear is imaginary or , not. And I had to make that conclusion myself at the end. Not at the end. But at some point, I'm like, Okay, so the bear is definitely not a thing. It's just that's Timmy's imaginary friend. You know

Jocelyn:   12:35
gets his imaginary friend and his his, you know, it be named Papa. Papa Bear is kind of his his way of dealing with the fact that his father walked out on them. Right, right, All right,

Graham:   12:48
that is that is absolutely right. And so I think, as you were saying, the kid it I'm not particularly talking about the actor. But the kid they tried to present us here was almost way too serious to be a kid. And like his imagine is his imagination wasn't fun I don't know if that if that, you know. I mean, like, a times it was dangerous, but wasn't there wasn't, You know, he's dreams and imagination. I didn't have that magic that you expect from the mind of, kid. So I I simply had had trouble understanding that for a long time.

Jocelyn:   13:47
I think some of that too maybe from the fact that to me. And I think maybe the book would help explain this a little better, in fact, that Timmy hasn't really had a great life, you know, is it's it's his mom works two jobs, so he never sees his mom. His dad walked out on them. He is essentially just left alone because he doesn't have any friends to wander around, and I can sort of understand his imagination. Being a bit bleak. It may be a bit cynical because he doesn't really have anything particularly happy to base it on. You know, the character of the mom Patty is pretty. She's not really a very good mom. She just isn't, um you know, she's she's pretty. She's pretty flighty and pretty pretty not, and I don't know, not not present with your child and not just because she's working, but I think just because she's just not present and you know, the character of Crispin is  I don't know, maybe the closest to normal that the kid comes to. The character played by Craig Robinson of Mr Jenkins, I think is lovely. And, uh, kind of I think is I wish they'd introduced him a little earlier because I feel like that's the point. Perhaps when you start to understand Timmy

Graham:   15:09
That's exactly and I'm like, Oh, my God, why didn't they do that already? Yeah,

Jocelyn:   15:17
and I would have loved to have seen more of Craig Robinson because it was every every interaction that he had with Timmy, I felt helped you understand to me better

Graham:   15:26
and changed Timmy's life in ways that no one else could. Yes, exactly. Exactly. S O that was an important character there. And yes, I'm still asking why why was he introduced so late? Anybody that had some sort of significance in Timmy's life other than his mom was introduced a bit too late in the movie. And this is why I'm telling you like I have to get acquainted with the with the with the series of books because I don't know if the screenplay does justice to the books, as as I see it in this movie. Having said that, you touched on the bright sides of the movie and I don't want to be the one to be crapping all over the movie. So let's talk about a little bit of those bright sides up. Number one for me is Timmy can be mad Funny if you if you follow his logic of things. The first thing that made me laugh out loud and was the first like nine minutes of the movie was how bad of an Investigator is.

Jocelyn:   16:50
Yeah, thing is in the world to pick to start. He's the worst detective in the world.  

Jocelyn:   17:02
My God, he was terrible. It so when he was looking for the book bag,  Gunnar's  book bag. He goes straight to the source. The bag was there all the entire time, just walks out bump, That's it. And he kept piling on work like okay, note to self, this, this, this, and that? And I'm like, Dude, you could have resolved these 10 minutes ago

Jocelyn:   17:34
if you just turned around. Noticed what that kid was holding. And so

Graham:   17:42
there's that. And then I like every time something was told, told to him he imagined it, and he was so literal that it was funny, like when his mom said something about We went for a ride and it was a lot of fun. His imagination went way out there. And he says to mom, I hope we were doing anything stupid. like, Who is this kid? But above all, the one thing that I found mad funny every time he referred to them as that was all of the hipsters of Oregon and Seattle, he called them Russians.

Jocelyn:   18:32
Yes,  

Graham:   18:33
the first time he called them Russians. I was like, Are they Russians  really? Then I realized that every time he referred to them, there was the typical hipster overly metro sexual bearded, you know, handle

Jocelyn:   18:53
unicycle handlebar moustache. Yes, E,

Graham:   18:58
I was like, Oh, so that's what that that was one of those elements are actually really funny to be. Oh, so I enjoyed that a lot. And you know, as soon as I started noticing those little those little Nuggets stuff as like, I'm actually going to stay with this little movie, this is good, so I don't know what else what it waters do you have in this movie?

Jocelyn:   19:34
I I enjoyed Wallace Shawn's performance. You know, Wallace Shawn has been around forever. He's, of course, seared into of the American consciousness from the movie The Princess Bride from the Eighties and Inconceivable on duh. You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means, but I found him very good as Mr Mr Crocus. I mean, he was while a Sean. That's essentially but at one point, because my husband I watched a movie together in, um because Wallace Shawn, he always makes funny little noises in all of the movies he's in, and my husband is like, Do they just put in the script to make Wallace Shawn noises? when he was going out on the dam to get Timmy and he's going, Uh, my husband's like they totally just put it this way. But I found him funny, and I found him very, even though he was sort of a caricature of ah mean teacher. You could kind of tell that he was supposed to be more than that, you know that he was trying to get to Timmy and just couldn't figure out how to to reach him so that he could advance academically. Um, but I did perform. Did enjoy the performance of Wallace. Shawn, is Mr Crocus

Graham:   20:49
Yes. Yes, Wallace Shawn It's You're absolutely right. Like this guy is is such a physical actor. Um, you know, his everything about him is his physical expression, right in the face is that he makes those grunts that he make, and but he has such a it face that no one else could have. Uh, yeah, I like that face belongs to Wallace Shawn. Yes, in as soon as I saw him. I'm like, Okay, this is gonna be funny in. He's gonna be playing some kind of grumpy men. But the one thing this one thing you said that I also found that was a bit too late into the movie is when you realize, oh, he's been trying to get to this kid all this... the entire time that he's been trying is really is really going for it. But the entire time, all you could see was him, probably been a little too hard on Timmy, Whereas that wasn't the intention I don't know.  

Jocelyn:   22:14
Yeah, yeah, I agree

Graham:   22:16
but let's talk about Craig Robinson in this character off. Uh, what was it Mr  

Jocelyn:   22:26
Mr Jenkins.

Graham:   22:27
Mr. Jenkins . First of all Craig Robinson has more range then. I ever thought he did. Hey was serious. He was measured. He was lovable. He was, um I don't know, magnanimous.  

Jocelyn:   22:50
Yes,  

Graham:   22:51
compassionate. And I was like, Oh, this guy this guy's really killing it with in this movie. It's amazing how seriously he took this role and how beautifully he portrayed this school counselor.

Jocelyn:   23:09
Yeah, Yeah, he really, really did. You know, it was there was no phoning it in or anything at all like that. It was I completely believed him as a school counselor and completely believed that he was getting to Timmy, that he that he got him that he understood.

Graham:   23:27
Yeah. Yeah, And it was so easy for him to. It's almost as if because you expect these people to get serious and, yeah, you have to do these and you have to do that. You have to try and be normal. And he completely went away from the whole idea of Timmy. No, being a normal kid, but rather Yeah, man, I get it I get it. And the way he managed to get to me to do his homework was fucking genius.

Jocelyn:   24:01
Really was.  

Graham:   24:02
I was like, Oh, this is so impressive. This is impressive. And I think what was refreshing about Mr Jenkins is that if you look at every character in the movie, everybody is a caricature off. Whatever the character is in real life. Except for Mr Jenkins, you know Mr Crocker's is is a caricature, often old and tired elementary teacher that is fed up with all of this bullshit. The mom is a caricature, er of. You know, some jovial lady that perhaps had a kid and was no never ready for that and still doesn't know how to deal with with the kid and the What was it? The maid Traffic maid Dude, What's his name again? Crispin Crispian is another caricature of somebody who represent authority. But But it's almost like doesn't even believe it, that he has the authority like,

Jocelyn:   25:19
Yeah, it's like the goofy boyfriend who really likes the mom. But wants to be friends of the kid but also knows. Oh, I need to not be just friends. I need to be some going about on authority, figure in his life.

Graham:   25:32
So everybody was sort of like caricature-esque, except for the interaction with Mr Jenkins. And that was that was that was when I settled and understood. OK, so this is what this kid is going through, and this is the one person who is going to get to him. I also enjoyed the librarians.

Jocelyn:   26:00
Oh, I did o e. I did too. I I loved the Read or Bleed

Graham:   26:09
Yes, the thing I liked about her is that she was never mean to Timmy, but she kind of put him in place like, Yeah, whatever. Dude.

Jocelyn:   26:17
Yes, exactly when he was something like what you say we'll circle back, she was like, she was like, she's like, No, we're done!

Graham:   26:29
She said, Hey, dude. You've spent the entire winter, cramped up in  here. You go out and play, man.  You know, like when the librarian is telling you you're spending way too much time in here.

Jocelyn:   26:44
Yeah. Yeah. Librarian is like, Go go on like that. It's like that

Graham:   26:51
sounds funny. Uh, some of the kids also were quite lovely. The the nameless one?

Jocelyn:   27:01
That that cracks me up.  

Graham:   27:04
And so he decided she was Russian, Russian operative. Aaaah man! There are more funny things in this movie than I expected to tell you the truth

Jocelyn:   27:19
I liked, um I likes little Molly Moskins to

Graham:   27:23
Molly  Moskins. Yes.  

Jocelyn:   27:25
And then, as she kind of, I think, had a little crush a little bit maybe on  Timmy Then when they when they worked out that deal and she was gonna cover for its and then he was kind of, like, not reciprocating with with what she wanted. She was like, OK, well, let in that case, this is what? How it's gonna be. be

Graham:   27:41
There yo go Yeah. Now you're screwed, Tim. You're gonna love the right. You're gonna do these. You're gonna do that. I'm, like, such a little boss.  

Jocelyn:   27:51
Yeah, It was like I was gonna do it out of the kindness of my heart, But you're gonna be an asshole about it, all right? No, no, no, no. No kindness anymore. That ship sailed.

Graham:   28:03
Yeah. Yeah, that Matt. No, you know, what dude I got to say? That was a funny leader movie. Maybe I need I need to lighten up, but yeah, that movie was funny.

Jocelyn:   28:19
It's cute, it's cute.. it's Not any by any means, any cinematic masterpiece. But I've certainly seen worse.

Graham:   28:29
Oh, yeah. $42 million to make this movie. Why, Jesus

Jocelyn:   28:37
Probably all went to the polar bear.  

Graham:   28:38
Yeah, that's a lot of C g I. Because he was in pretty much everything.

Jocelyn:   28:43
Yeah, And it was Get CJ. I tell

Graham:   28:45
he was fantastic CG I liked when he came back. Yeah, into the aquarium thing. And yes, yeah, I was like, Yo, I shouldn't be crying for this. So So let's talk about a little bit about the cast and then Ah, yeah. So the child who plays Timmy failure is Name is Windslowe Fegley  

Jocelyn:   29:16
Winslow  

Graham:   29:17
Winslow like two last name for name. It's

Jocelyn:   29:22
Yeah, it's a little guy for such of such a name. So

Graham:   29:31
there's that Winslow Phegley What I think What do you make of him like he's probably 10 or 11.  

Jocelyn:   29:38
Let's see. Um yeah, I would think so. Somewhere around there, Timmy is supposed to be 11. He's probably somewhere around that age, I would think

Graham:   29:48
Well, both of his parents are actors. August Fegley and Oaks Fegley his parents. Okay, so he's got some pedigrees and  

Jocelyn:   30:02
yeah, yeah, yeah.  

Graham:   30:04
And by the way, he's a good little actor. He stayed in character pretty well. He dealt with the character pretty good, but yeah, you're right. It seems like the direction that he was given was to go towards a socially awkward kid. You know, as you said, pushing more towards someone with a is social deficiency as opposed to as opposed to a very imaginative kid Do you know, doing things that should would could be considered normal, You know, go that we can't blame the kid for that, you know? Now, um, the mother was played by Ophelia Lovibond.

Jocelyn:   30:59
I am not familiar with her at all. She's apparently English. Um, so I don't know. I don't know anything about her. She was in Rocket Man, which I didn't see, but she was in that. She's she's been in quite a few different things, but I just I've missed her somehow.  

Graham:   31:19
Yeah, but the one thing is that the entire time I saw her, her face looked familiar to me, you know? But I don't know you more like she looked like another actress, as opposed to an actress. Her being an actress that I've seen before. Does that make sense?

Jocelyn:   31:37
It does make sense. I know what you mean, But I can I could never down. Yeah. Yeah,

Graham:   31:44
but as you say has been in quite a bit of things. So she made her debut in a Roman Polanski movie. Oliver Twist.  

Jocelyn:   31:57
Okay,

Graham:   31:57
in 2005. So she's been around? Yeah. Okay. No, I think she she she played the heck of the out of the character. But Rosie, she just had a couple of scenes to

Jocelyn:   32:17
that. Yeah, she really wasn't. Mom was not a big part of of Timmy's life.

Graham:   32:24
Yeah, and so we've talked about Wallace Shawn who is like some sort of national treasure. And Craig Robinson playing Mr Delightfully playing Mr Jenkins, and in Kyle Bornheimer is Crispin. Where have I seen this dude before?

Jocelyn:   32:51
I don't know. Because I was wondering that myself. He was He was in marriage story, which I'm never gonna watch. Eso I don't know. I really don't know what he would has been in, but he looks I almost think that he was another one of those. Oh, you look like somebody else. You know, who that somebody else waas like somebody from the eighties or something. I almost feel like 

Graham:   33:16
somehow? He reminded me of. You remember the old version of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart? Uh, what's the name of that dude that is married to Samantha Bee?

Jocelyn:   33:30
Oh, I can completely see that. I can't remember his name.

Graham:   33:34
But Amy Yeah, so that that's that's what Every time I saw him, that's who I kept seeing. But why is it that I can't remember? He was He was a Marine.

Jocelyn:   33:47
Jason Jones?  

Graham:   33:48
Jason Jones. Yes,  he reminded me of Jason Jones all the time. But like Disney has done it again in that they put out a movie that probably is launching a lot of people's career and just a couple of very well known faces, you know? Yeah, that seems to be an M o for for Disney, with Disney. Plus at least.

Jocelyn:   34:17
Yeah, yeah, I agree.

Graham:   34:20
So the hot, That's a good thing.  

Jocelyn:   34:23
Yes,

Graham:   34:24
Good thing. Er..  Molly Mons.. Molly Moskins her name is Chloe Coleman.

Jocelyn:   34:30
Great little actress

Graham:   34:31
is just fun. She has that a little fun face.  

Jocelyn:   34:38
Yes, exactly.  

Graham:   34:40
Yeah, but she's been in a lot of things.

Jocelyn:   34:43
Yeah,

Graham:   34:45
she she has. She has a long list of things she's been on. She's 11 years-old.

Jocelyn:   34:51
She's slated to being the next Avatar movie.

Graham:   34:54
Good Lord. And is it? Well, Avatar's gonna Well, Disney now. Ain't it?.

Jocelyn:   35:02
I believe so. Yeah.  

Graham:   35:04
Did they buy Avatar?  Yeah,  

Jocelyn:   35:06
I think they did 

Graham:   35:07
They bought the entire thing. And Ai- chun Carrier. Who played Corina? Corina Corina  

Jocelyn:   35:16
She who shall not be named.  

Graham:   35:22
Yeah.... So here you have it, Timmy failure. Mistakes were made. Um, it's actually a fun little the movie. And, uh, yeah... I was I was being hard ass on the movie with it. I realized now talking about it, How much fun it was. So So I definitely recommend it. I definitely do. But I do have to go after the book.  

Graham:   35:53
Yeah,I I want to read the book now, too. You go. Let's say it's a failure on my part.  

Graham:   36:03
All right, then, so we have talked about this movie and we hope you watch the movie and like it, it's on Disney Plus movie was released in February. And, uh, that one of the top three movies on on Disney Plus,

Jocelyn:   36:22
yeah, it's it's a fun. It's a fun little thing. And, uh, I think he can let the kids watch it without any worries. Yeah,

Graham:   36:29
that's true. You know, And, um, go with an open mind and understand that there's a lot to the movie that the eye can see and you'll get there. It's a journey to sort of understanding this movie. But once you get it, you get it and you'll appreciate having having watching it. Haven't watched it. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, we of course would like to invite you to follow us on social media Twitter, instagram, Facebook, Pinterest. And also you can always go find find Find out more about us on our websites Kickin and streamin Podcast dotcom. You can find Jocelyn on instagram as jocelynpodcast podcast. And for me it's mrpuzetta. That's m r p u zz etta both on instagram and on  theTwitter box. For today, we're gonna call it a day. Thank of your much for listening and till next time, ani't it?

Jocelyn:   37:52
Yes. Stay safe. Everybody wash your hands,

Graham:   37:54
you go ahead and take care now,  people. Bye!

Jocelyn:   0:00
  Bye!