5 Movies Like The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

At first glance, Dogfight seems to be just a standard love story: a Marine falling in love with a woman just before he’s sent overseas. But underneath, there’s a rebuke at American masculinity that needs to be acknowledged. As Eddie and his friends make bets at the expense of their dates, Dogfight rightfully portrays this treatment as casual, unthinking cruelty, and it’s the exact cruelty that they inflict on themselves, the same obedient mindset that continues to push them to various wars around the world at that time. River Phoenix evokes that startling realization with the gentle way Eddie starts to treat Rose, and as the night alternates between his date and the shenanigans his buddies go through without him, Dogfight questions the way boys come of age, this mindset, and what it means to grow up.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Actor: Anthony Clark, Brendan Fraser, Burke Pearson, Christopher Shaw, Elizabeth Daily, Holly Near, Jillian Armenante, John Lacy, Kenneth Utt, Krisha Fairchild, Lili Taylor, Mitchell Whitfield, Peg Phillips, Richard Panebianco, River Phoenix, Robert Munns, Ron Lynch, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Sue Morales

Director: Nancy Savoca

Rating: R

Twinsters is a documentary about a young Asian American actress, Samantha Futerman (also co-director), who is contacted over the internet by a young French-Asian woman, Anaïs Bordier, who has been shown a video of Samantha on the internet — and cannot believe their remarkably similar physical appearance. After initial perplexity and uncertainty, Samantha and Anaïs are soon embroiled in excited correspondence and travel to meet one another in their respective countries — eventually confirming via DNA testing that they are in fact long-lost twin sisters given up for adoption 25 years earlier in South Korea. A remarkable true story with a wonderfully beating heart, Twinsters does a lovely job of not just spelling out the amazing story of the sisters’ unlikely connection, but also finding and exploring the growing love and affection between both the two girls, as well as their extended families and groups of friends. A truly touching and humanistic film-viewing experience.

Genre: Documentary, Family

Actor: Anaïs Bordier, Kanoa Goo, Samantha Futerman

Director: Ryan Miyamoto, Samantha Futerman

Rating: PG-13

Togo may be set in a cold Alaskan town, but the story it tells is nothing short of heartwarming. It follows a pup who starts out as an unwanted underdog but who quickly becomes a beloved leader thanks to his tenacity, pluck, and undeniable charm. Watching Togo onscreen, whether as a puppy escaping his cage or as a senior leaping through sea ice, is a marvelous sight to behold, not least because of the sans-CGI direction.  

And like many a dog tale, Togo is a sure tearjerker, but unlike most of them, this specific story never feels exploitative. Togo is given a proper backstory and sufficient characterization, a refreshing focus that makes every emotional curveball well-earned. Watch this and you'll never take a day with your pet for granted again.

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family

Actor: Adrien Dorval, Brandon Oakes, Catherine McGregor, Christopher Heyerdahl, Julianne Nicholson, Madeline Wickins, Michael Gaston, Michael Greyeyes, Michael McElhatton, Nikolai Nikolaeff, Nive Nielsen, Richard Dormer, Thorbjørn Harr, Willem Dafoe, Zahn McClarnon

Director: Ericson Core

Rating: PG