- “The name is misleading, because I am anything but. I am only concerned with one thing...greatness.”
- ―Timmy Failure
Timmy Failure is the titular protagonist in the 2020 film Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He is a young 11 year old boy who lives with his single mother in Portland, Oregon. Together with his imaginary polar bear sidekick Total and his two classmate friends Charles "Rollo" Tookus and Molly Moskins, Timmy travels around the City of Roses trying to outwit "the Russians" and solve cases that he feels are more complicated than what they actually are. His biggest concern is finding a better office and making sure that the city of Portland is safe from villainy.
Background[]
Personality[]
Timmy is a rather precocious child. He is shown to be very much aware of adult matters. While observant, he is has a habit of missing obvious answers to some of his cases. It is unknown if his ideas are delusional or just play pretend, but he does seem smart enough to acknowledge when his plans have gone too far. While he believes that his cases are for the good of the people of Portland, how he goes about "solving" them shows that he wants to achieve "greatness". He sometimes puts aside other people's concerns for his own benefit, but by the end of the movie, is told that he must learn from his mistakes.
Relationships[]
The only person Timmy has to truly look out for is his mother Patty. Because of the lack of father figures, Timmy believes it is his duty to look after her. He constantly tells her that she would not have to worry about money "soon" because his detective agency will take off one day.
It is heavily implied that Total, his imaginary polar bear friend, is the result of his father walking out on him and his mother as Total "arrives" almost as soon as his father leaves the house for good. He makes him a "partner" in his "successful" detective agency Total Failure Inc. which he admittedly regrets because, as it turns out, polar bears are unreliable.
Outside his mother, Timmy interacts with his friend and former member of Total Failure Inc. Charles "Rollo" Tookus who acts almost as a straight man to Timmy's many outlandish schemes. He also occasionally hangs out with Molly Moskins, a girl who openly admires him. However, he views her as being "problematic" because she is always happy.
Timmy considers his arch-nemesis to be a girl named Corrina Corrina who for a while he called "The Nameless One". The reason for his hatred of her is never directly stated, but it is implied to be a couple of things. For one thing, he seemed nervous when Flo the librarian asked if he liked her and secondly, he recognizes that she has a very good relationship with her father, something that he clearly envies. Contrary to his claim of Corrina being evil, she is shown to be a genuinely nice girl who is kind to Timmy.
Role in the film[]
Timmy is introduced at the beginning of the film where he narrates his life at Portland, Oregon as a detective of his own agency as well as introducing his pal, Total, a polar bear who came to Oregon. He continued narrating about how his makeshift organization Total Failure was founded as well using a Segway called the "Failure Mobile" (which his mother Patty won at a church raffle event) which he uses for transportation, although his mother puts in restrictions whether Timmy is allowed or not to use it. Timmy continues to narrate of Portland not being safe just before staring at a hipster sitting behind a Russian food truck just before arriving at Gunnar's house. When Timmy visits Gunnar's house, he asks the latter that someone "stole" his backpack just as Timmy begins the missing backpack case, only for Timmy to reply that he would obtain a birdwatching badge instead. Timmy enters Gabe's room where the latter tells him to stay out of his room in a rude manner, unaware of Gunnar's backpack hanging on the door just before Timmy leaves Gunnar's house. That night, Timmy narrates of how comfortable he is working in his office privately, with the flaw being his office in a cramped condition at an attic. Later at the Burger Bus, a burger-themed restaurant set in a bus, Timmy negotiates with his mother about adding more space, which his mother denies, telling him that he needs a larger room - albeit staying at Oregon.
That night, Timmy reads through a listing of agencies available, albeit planning to solve the Gunnar case. The next day at school, Timmy tells Total to stay, due to the school policy. As he goes to school, he encounters his teacher, Mr. Crocus, who is furious of him being late. After Timmy decides to change his mind in taking care of a hamster, he sits at his desk and narrates about his classmates Molly Moskins and Rollo Tookus which Timmy describes him as a former employee of his agency. During quiz, Timmy refuses to improvise with Corrina Corrina, which he calls her the "Nameless One", which Mr. Crocus tells him to get out of class. Later at recess, Timmy sits with Total who is sitting next to a fence where he engages in a private conversation with him. Later during when Timmy's mother is having a conversation with Mr. Crocus, she tells her son to apologize to the teacher, Patty tells her son to apologize to his teacher for disrupting the class. Timmy refuses, telling his mother that mistakes were made, which made her very upset about Timmy risking to be suspended in class. That night, Timmy sulks of himself being a disgruntled employee just as he approaches his mother working on the bills for Timmy's new office, which his mother tells him that he doesn't need to worry about her salary, telling him to try harder at school by apologizing to Mr. Crocus sincerely.
The next day, Timmy decides to cancel all other "cases" planning to find the Failure Mobile, where he finds Rollo's mother in a plan to negotiate with her son. After she tells Timmy about her son in fencing class, Timmy encounters Rollo where he asks him to know where the Failure Mobile would be, which Rollo tells him that he must study as well just like him for the next exam just before Rollo explains that the reason why he was enrolled in this was because his father would help him get into Stanford. During a conversation with him, Rollo agrees to help Timmy that he will find the Failure Mobile by making a deal in planning to promise, but Timmy decides to see Flo instead. During Timmy’s encounter with Flo at the Portland Public Library, Timmy writes "Russian operatives" on a piece of paper, telling her that he wants intel on actual spies living locally, which Flo tells him to look for new friends just before Molly approaches Flo, handing her the flyers. Molly offers Timmy to join a rally for Animal Awareness Month, which Timmy finds no results from Flo just before Molly reveals that Corrina Corrina is part Russian. She then recaps to Timmy that Corrina did a show and tell last year with matryoshka dolls that her grandmother gave her just before Timmy leaves.
Timmy returns home and approaches his mother who reveals to him that she invited a parking officer named Crispin Flavius for dinner which she reveals that he is her boyfriend just before Timmy approaches him where he shows the chocolates he bought for his mother. Crispin offers Timmy a lucky rabbit's foot, which he rejects, telling Crispin about Animal Awareness Month. During dinner with his mother and Crispin, the latter offers to Timmy that he could show him around the precinct sometime, which Timmy denies, telling him that he has a partner, a polar bear named "Total". Timmy tells Crispin that he would introduce Total to him sometime. The next day, Timmy is having a discussion with Mr. Jenkins, telling him that he has difficult time in class as well as reminding him that whatever stays in this room stays here as a safe space. During the conversation, Timmy tells the counselor that a lot of people rely on him like his mother and his partner Total. Later, Timmy walks alongside Rollo where he tells him that Corrina is planning to sabotage Total Failure, Inc. just before the two approach Corrina's house. Just as the two approach Corrina, Rollo explains to Timmy that Corrina's father is rich just before Timmy leaves. Timmy later returns to his mother who is upset that she is missing her Segway, which Timmy replies that Molly Moskins, one his his classmates, used it for a rally, much to Patty furious that his behavior must stop. Patty tells her son that she wants her Segway back the moment the rally ends just before planning to call Molly's mother.
As Timmy's mother goes into a private conversation with Molly's mother, Timmy approaches Molly, asking her if she is using the Failure Mobile for the rally, which he tells her about the Segway. When Molly agrees to be Timmy's cover, she tells him to do his tasks; Timmy refuses at first, but decides to change his mind. During a quiz session, Timmy engages in a conversation with Rollo, but his teacher tells him not to disturb the class during the test. During a conversation with Rollo at a bus, he warns him that Timmy's plan to rob a bank is a bad idea (which he thinks the Segway would be inside), which Timmy tells him that Total is his backup. Timmy and Rollo enter a bank and wear fencer masks in a plan to retrieve the Segway just before a security guard approaches them, telling them to remove their masks as part of the bank policy, unaware of a security camera above. Timmy later creates a diversion plan to escape the bank just before the guard could arrest him and Rollo.
The next day, Timmy returns to the principal's office where he engages in a conversation with Mr. Jenkins who requests him to do an undercover assignment by doing an assignment given by Mr. Crocus which Timmy accepts. Later, during class, Flo tells Timmy to participate in a group, which he refuses to, telling her that he is against the anti-bear policy. Flo urges Timmy to speak up so that she can teach him and the students to make an impact on the world which Timmy finally accepts. Timmy then narrates that it was his last chance to find the Failure Mobile where he sends Total to help him out, but avoid causing trouble, but the bear did not listen to his orders during an imagination montage. As he and Total were approaching the Failure Mobile, Timmy advised the polar bear to find a way to take it with caution, albeit was unable to go down safely due to his large size. Timmy contacts Total to revise a plan only to be approached by Crispin who offer to help him take a ride home or take him bowling, which he reveals that he is dating his mother, telling him to thank him for sharing his story. Crispin also tells Timmy that he is a nice parking enforcement officer which he also reveals that he is not normal, which Timmy ignores Crispin's conversation with him just before returning home to focus on his homework.
Back at home, Timmy's mother reveals to her son that he really likes Crispin, recapping that she and Crispin did anything fun last time. As Timmy's mother reveals that the rent's price is increasing and that she cannot afford to pay the renewal, she tells him that they must move to another place, which Timmy refuses, just as he argues with his mother, feeling sensitive about his agency's fate. Later during a field trip, Mr. Crocus approaches Timmy, telling him that if he makes one more mistake, he will be suspended from school. During a field trip to the Bonneville Dam, Timmy approaches Rollo and warns him that Corrina wants to ruin Timmy's life, which he refuses at first, but tells him to help him with this, unaware that Corrina is still in the group. Timmy rushes across the restricted area in the dam's system planning to stop Corrina while trying to avoid Mr. Crocus, unaware that she is still in the group. Just as he echoes across the dam via restricted area, he finds no sign of Corrina; Mr. Crocus approaches him, scolds him and prepares to suspend him for not being with the group, just as he runs away from him, resulting him to end up outside the dam. Realizing that he and his teacher are high above the flood gates, the operators inside the dam decide to open the gates much to Timmy's shock just as Mr. Crocus fears that they will be washed away by the flood. However, Timmy approaches his teacher and tells him that it's over, but he gets no response Mr. Crocus who is lying down unconsciously.
After the trip, Timmy receives a 3-day suspension from school and returns home where her mother scolds him to act like a normal person, as well as shutting down his agency, Total Failure. As a result, Timmy lost his agency with no more clients working for him and thus allows his imaginary friend to be sent to the Oregon Zoo while narrating that things were different ever since his mother found a new job. Back at school, Timmy approaches Corrina who is offering him to buy a cookie to raise Animal Awareness, which she gives her an owl-shaped cookie for him. At recess, Mr. Jenkins approaches Timmy and tells Timmy that he must learn from the mistakes he made and adapt to being a normal person in a professional manner, as he tells him to learn how to understand the value of adaptability just before leaving and telling Timmy to enjoy his cookie. Timmy finds a listening device placed on the cookie just as he yells at Corrina that she tricked him for this. As a result, this leads Timmy to find Total so that he could get help from Crispin in a plan for him to rescue his partner from the zoo.
At the Oregon Zoo, Timmy sneaks into the polar bear enclosure that is closed for renovations where he sneaks into the exhibit and suddenly encounters Total at the underwater viewing area at the Gateway to the Arctic area who is happy to see his partner back, just before Timmy returns to Crispin who reveals that he freed the bear. After rescuing Total, Crispin thanks Timmy for belong him, which means a lot for Timmy that he trusted him, only for the conversation to be interrupted when a purse snatcher rushes through, leading Crispin, Timmy, and Total to go after the robber, but instead decides to let the law enforcement do their job in taking care of the thief. However, Timmy decides to act like a professional and let the local law enforcement take care of the robber. When an elderly lady tells Timmy to clear the way for her to pass, he back up Crispin's truck and hits a pole; Timmy's mother later enters the hospital and finds out that Timmy is all right. He tells his mother that Crispin and the law enforcement apprehended the purse snatcher as he explains that he wanted to get his agency back, especially when he needs to adapt in being professional as his mother revealed that she made a mistake in the past, understanding that Timmy is desperate to get his agency back.
Timmy approaches Crispin again who tells him that he is here for professional matters, handing him a flyer showing a rally for Animal Awareness Month at Cathedral Park, just as he also reveals to Timmy that he stumbled upon something that may be related to Corrina. Later at a garage, Crispin shows Timmy the Failure Mobile which was illegally parked at the inventory just as Timmy narrates about how he describes Stumptown. Later, Timmy is present at the Animal Awareness rally at Cathedral Park, giving out a speech that Total's species, a polar bear, is vulnerable, planning to raise awareness, which he continues to speak in front of the audience, impressing everyone just as Total happily roars. As Timmy realizes that Mr. Crocus is not present, he believes Corrina may be behind this trouble, leading him and Total to "find" him and "rescue" him.
Trivia[]
- In the original book, Timmy was much more vain and egotistical; going so far as to call Rollo an idiot for stating the obvious and believing that the only reason kids do not hang out with him despite being "popular" is because they are afraid of Total.
- Timmy's hair in the book is illustrated as being unkempt, but in the movie his hair seems matted down.
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