The Wicker Tree (2011)

Director:

Robin Hardy

Writers:

Robin Hardy (written by)
Robin Hardy (novel)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Tagline:

Accept our sacrifice

Plot:

Charmed by the residents of Tressock, Scotland, two young missionaries accept the invitation to participate in a local festival, fully unaware of the consequences of their decision.

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Sequel | Three Word Title | Satire | Plant In Title

Cast

Graham McTavish	...	Sir Lachlan Morrison
Jacqueline Leonard	...	Lady Delia Morrison
Henry Garrett	...	Steve Thomson
Honeysuckle Weeks	...	Lolly
Clive Russell	...	Beame
Prue Clarke	...	Mary Hellier
Lesley Mackie	...	Daisy
David Plimmer	...	Jack
Christopher Lee	...	Old Gentleman
Brittania Nicol	...	Beth Boothby
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Astrid Azurdia	...	Patricia Gow
Alessandro Conetta	...	Orlando
Keith Easdale	...	Town Band
Christopher Fosh	...	Trailer Trash Video Dancer
Stuart Glasgow	...	Town Band
Scott Hoatson	...	Carl
Jarkko Lehmus	...	Dancer
St. Clair Leveaux	...	Marion
Ailidh Mackay	...	Anthea
James Mapes	...	Reverend Moriarty
Alistair Maxwell	...	Angus
John Paul McGilvray	...	Danny (as John Paul McGilvray)
Keira McMillan	...	Morag
Bill Murdoch	...	Rev. McLeod
Kirstin Murray	...	Celebrity interviewer
Iain Stuart Robertson	...	Peter McNeil
Ben Sullivan	...	Young Lachlan
Graham Wadsworth	...	Trailer Trash Video Dancer
Terry Wale	...	Murdoch
Keith Warwick	...	Donald Dee
Mark Williams	...	Paul
Hamish Wilson	...	Magnus Tarrant
Amanda Jones	...	Special thanks (uncredited)
Philip Kingscott	...	Villager (uncredited)
Christopher Leveaux	...	Christopher (uncredited)
Alan Marsh	...	Walk On (uncredited)
Callum Mitchell	...	Strange Scottish Villager (uncredited)
Will Thompson	...	Simon (uncredited)

Directed by
Robin Hardy

Writing credits
Robin Hardy		(written by)
Robin Hardy		(novel "Cowboys for Christ")

Produced by
Kim Davis	....	line producer: Dallas (as Kim Dillinger Davis)
Alastair Gourlay	....	executive producer
Clare Kerr	....	line producer
Izzie Martin	....	line producer: London
Izzie Martin	....	line producer: Oxford
Donough O'Brien	....	executive producer: Euro Center
Peter Snell	....	producer
Peter Watson-Wood	....	producer

Original Music by
John Scott

Cinematography by
Jan Pester

Film Editing by
Sean Barton
Ray Lau

Casting by
Kate Plantin

Production Design by
Laurel Wear

Art Direction by
Natalie Astridge

Costume Design by
David Blight

Makeup Department
Nikki Cowe	....	make up & hair artist: daily (as Nicki Cowe)
Maxine Dallas	....	make up & hair artist
Claire Harris	....	make up & hair artist: daily
Julie MacKay	....	make up & hair artist: daily
Marion McCormack	....	make up & hair supervisor
Lee Melrose	....	make-up trainee
Irene Napier	....	make up and hair designer
Dani Richardson	....	makeup: London
Emma Scott	....	makeup: London
Dana Spikins	....	makeup: Oxford

Production Management
Tom Jenkins	....	unit manager
Pam Roberts	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Amanda Black	....	first assistant director: second unit
Harry Boyd	....	first assistant director: second unit
Janis Burklund	....	director: Dallas Film Commission
Stuart Cadenhead	....	third assistant director: second unit
Patrick Conroy	....	first assistant director
Graham Drover	....	third assistant director
Helen Fraser	....	second assistant director
Jamie Gavin	....	assistant director runner
Meg Gould	....	assistant director: Dallas Film Commission
Carol-Anne Henderson	....	third assistant director
Ray Kenny	....	second assistant director
Adrian Mead	....	second unit director
James Roblin	....	third assistant director: Oxford
Kath Wishart	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kimberley Bright	....	prop maker
Lucy Crockett	....	painter
Andy Duly	....	construction
Jim Elliott	....	stand-by properties
Amelie Astridge Brodie Jenkins	....	art department assistant
Trevor Leat	....	builder: wicker tree
Daniel MacDonell	....	dressing properties
Colin Macinnes	....	dressing properties
Stephen Mason	....	standby art director
Russell McGovern	....	assistant prop maker
Aoife McKim	....	petty cash buyer
Andy McPherson	....	art department assistant
Luke Oldale	....	construction
Lee Porter	....	production buyer
Kara Ramsay	....	art department assistant
Alex Rigg	....	builder: wicker tree
Bryony Rumble	....	props buyer: and dresser
Blair Sprott	....	art department trainee
Will Thompson	....	art department trainee
Tom Tierney	....	construction

Sound Department
Nick Baldock	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Baldock	....	sound designer
David Briggs	....	sound: London
Ricky Butt	....	foley artist
Chris Campion	....	sound recordist
Ben Carr	....	effects editor
Tim Dyer	....	boom operator: second unit
Douglas Fairgrieve	....	sound recordist: second unit (as Dougie Fairgrieve)
Michael Feinberg	....	dialogue: sound and foley editor (as Mike Feinberg)
Alan Green	....	boom operator: London
Andrea King	....	foley artist
Graham McCormick	....	boom operator
Adam Mendez	....	foley recordist
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Richard Straker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Walsh	....	sound assistant (as Andy Walsh)

Special Effects by
Mike Crowley	....	special effects
Jody Taylor	....	special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
Faye Brown	....	graphics
John Browning	....	visual effects
Charlotte Collings	....	di producer
Brad Coomber	....	graphics
Rob Ellis	....	visual effects artist
Mike Fraser	....	executive producer: Prime Focus
Sascha Fromeyer	....	digital compositor
Reuben Goodyear	....	di producer
Jonathan Hills	....	visual effects
Ben McIlveen	....	manager: red rushes
Tom Russell	....	senior colourist
Anne Trotman	....	visual effects artist
Kai Van Beers	....	digital imaging colour management
Dean Watkins	....	di producer
Christopher Watson-Wood	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Nrinder Dhudwar	....	stunt coordinator
David Goodall	....	fight director
Sandy Laird	....	double: horse riding
Tom Lucy	....	stunt coordinator
Curtis Rivers	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Stuart Anderson	....	focus puller: third unit
Steve Arthur	....	gaffer
Julie Bills	....	additional camera operator
Francesco Bori	....	camera assistant: Oxford crew
Donald Campbell	....	electrician
Brown Cooper	....	director of photography: Dallas
Luke Coulter	....	additional focus puller
Mark Dempsey	....	digital imaging technician
Ron Diggory	....	electrician
Dennis Dillon	....	grip: London
Graham Findlayson	....	camera trainee
Mark French	....	gaffer: London
Kathleen Friend	....	camera operator: third unit
Keith Hunt	....	genny operator
Graeme Hunter	....	still photographer
Rich Jobling	....	data wrangler
Damian Leitch	....	camera assistant
David Littlejohns	....	grip assistant (as Dave Littlejohn)
Donald MacSween	....	data wrangler
Vlad Martins	....	data wrangler (as Vlad Martins Cristovao)
Grant McPhee	....	camera assistant
Dave Miller	....	second unit photography
Andy Mitwamwari	....	focus puller (as Andrew Mitwamwari)
Mark Morley	....	grip: London
Dave Morrison	....	key grip
Peter Murphy	....	electrician
Kevin O'Brien	....	a-camera / steadicam operator
Robert Ross O'Brien	....	electrician
Greer Pester	....	camera trainee
John Rhymer	....	rigger
Niall Smith	....	best boy
Dave Thom	....	electrician (as David Thom)
Scott Ward	....	epk
Christopher Watson-Wood	....	camera: Oxford (as Chris Watson-Wood)
James Webber	....	special features camera

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harriet Edmonds	....	costume assistant
Louise Egan	....	costume buyer
April Gilchrist	....	wardrobe dailies
Elizabeth Healy	....	costume supervisor
Anne Hiner	....	costume trainee
John Laurie	....	costume assistant
Sally-Gay McCann	....	wardrobe dailies
Stevie McTear	....	costumes: Queens of May
Angela Robertson	....	wardrobe dailies
Eleanor Welch	....	costume trainee
Jessie Gelpke	....	costume researcher (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Fraser Cleland	....	on-line editor
David Greathead	....	assistant editor
Ben McIlveen	....	on-line editor
Gene Mendoza	....	color timer
Sunil Rao	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Keith Casdale	....	assistant engineer: and producer
Keith Easdale	....	additional music: and songs
John Fiddy	....	assistant to composer
Stuart Glasgow	....	music supervisor
Ian Maclay	....	orchestra: managing director
Kenny McLeod	....	assistant engineer
Jeremy Murphy	....	assistant engineer
Emma Pollock	....	studio manager
Duncan Riddell	....	concert master
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra	....	music performers (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
Paul Savage	....	studio manager
Gary Thomas	....	engineer
Richard Todman	....	music editor
Alex Watson	....	technical engineer

Transportation Department
Martin Auld	....	unit driver
Alex Devine	....	transport captain
Peter Duncan	....	vehicle provided by
Russell Dunsmore	....	unit driver
Andy Finnie	....	unit driver (as Andrew Finnie)
Mario Formasimo	....	vehicle provided by
Andrew Franzkowiak	....	driver (as Andy Franzkowiak)
Sean Healey	....	driver
Drew Moore	....	minibus driver
Jim Welch	....	limousine driver

Other crew
Bozena Bienkowska	....	cat wrangler
Michelle Brodie	....	unit medical staff
Saporito Caffe	....	caterer
Dorothy Connolley	....	script supervisor (as Dot Connolley)
Matt Cooper	....	additional floor runner (as Mathew Cooper)
Katie Crook	....	assistant coordinator
Kim Davis	....	location manager: Texas
Richard Duriez	....	with the help of: Film Oxford
Cody Faucett	....	production assistant
Rachel Fiddes	....	additional assistant coordinator
Andrew Franzkowiak	....	runner (as Andy Franzkowiak)
Mike Fraser	....	post consultant
Jamie Gavin	....	floor runner
John Goffin	....	cat wrangler
Aashish Gudka	....	auditor
Greg Harris	....	production secretary
Rebecca Hawkes	....	technical services: Schedule 2
Sean Healey	....	runner
Tom Jenkins	....	location manager: second unit
Sheila Johnson	....	additional script supervisor
Debbie Jones	....	coordinator: Oxford
Terry Keenan	....	horse master
Danny Khoudary	....	location assistant
Andy Maas	....	production company assistant
Morven MacPherson	....	production company assistant (as Morven McPherson)
Sirish Malde	....	auditor
Izzie Martin	....	assistant: to Robin Hardy
Joanna Matthews	....	additional floor runner
Jacqui McBride	....	assistant accountant (as Jacqueline McBride)
Joyce Miller	....	horse master
Jennifer Mitchell	....	unit medical staff
Alexander Montague-Sparey	....	choreography: London
Lisa Neely	....	production accountant
Anya Noakes	....	unit publicist
Christian Otty	....	additional floor runner
Nick Pearson	....	nurse
Brodie Pringle	....	location manager
Karen Redfern	....	technical services: Schedule 2
Hitesh Shah	....	post-production accountant
David Simons	....	additional floor runner
Julie Saleh Soliman	....	raven handler
Moyra Statham	....	unit medical staff
Linda Stewart	....	unit medical staff
Susan Stewart	....	unit medical staff
Andy Wallace	....	caterer
Chloe Westbury	....	caterer

Thanks
John Henry Lachlan Althea	....	special thanks
Christopher Bond	....	thanks
Henrietta Gourlay	....	thanks
Jim Hogg	....	thanks
Brian McNeill	....	the producers wish to thank: permission to adapt the lyrics of his song "The Yew Tree"
Anne Watson-Wood	....	thanks
Edward Woodward	....	in memoriam: 1930-2009

Production Companies

• British Lion Film Corporation (as British Lion) (presents)
• Euro Center Productions (co-produced in association with)
• Tressock Films

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Films (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2012) (Canada) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Anvil Post Production  sound re-recording
• Art4noise  ADR recording
• Art4noise  sound post-production
• Filmscape Media  camera equipment provided by
• Malde & Co.  auditors
• Park Drive Pictures  funding
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Silva Screen Records  music soundtrack available on

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and violence

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Arniston House, Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, UK

Company:

British Lion Film Corporation

Trivia:

Joan Collins was originally set to play Lady Delia Morrison when Christopher Lee was to play Sir Lachlan Morrison. However, when Lee injured himself and was replaced by the much younger Graham McTavish, Collins was replaced with a younger actress, Jacqueline Leonard.

Movie Connections:

References "The Simpsons" (1989)

Soundtrack:

The Anthem Duet

Wow, this was bitterly disappointing

The Wicker Tree is more disappointing than I ever thought it could be. Terrible acting, clunky direction, naff music, unbelievable characters.

In the original, Howie's character was a believable, devout Christian - committed, horrified at Summerisle's pagan practices and living out a believable battle between his commitment to faith and all the temptations that Summerisle presents. In contrast, the Wicker Tree's Beth and Steve are shallow caricatures, lame stereotypes played for cheap laughs. Their mission to evangelise 'heathen Scotland' doesn't ring true. Relocating from a remote island to mainland UK removes any hint of genuine threat and isolation (you don't for one moment believe this place actually exists) and, given that Hardy is a Brit, that kind of lazy writing and directing is unforgivable. Clearly no research went in to trying to authentically present these places and characters - S+B's relationship is unconvincing from the first moment, their behaviour dubious, Beth's back-story is laughable and their methods of faith-sharing unconvincing guess work on Hardy's part. These things are also true of the characters' portrayal in Hardy's book (Cowboys for Christ) so it's no surprise that the film lazily regurgitates these errors. By the time their inevitable demise ensues, you've long ceased caring and you're just left hoping that the pay-off for these wretched cardboard cut-outs is worth it. It's not.

Clearly the Wicker Man is fantastical, but the joy and horror of it stems from the possibility that it could.. just be.. a true story. Tree, on the other hand, is like a poorly thought out play written by 15 year olds for a GCSE drama production. Everything that was bold, funny, scary, shocking and beautiful about the first film is (I assume unintentionally) mocked or (intentionally) rehashed. In 90 minutes there was one moving moment and only one genuinely (and intentionally) funny scene. Thematically, any attempt to comment on faith and religion, hope and virtue, sacrifice and naivete, love and death, nature and fear all go out of the window - if they were ever welcomed in to the room in the first place. The whole thing stinks. The music is tagged on, unmemorable and cringe-worthy. The comedy characters are woefully misjudged and their story arcs embarrassing. It doesn't matter how many breasts are thrust at the screen, there is zero erotic tension - Steve's temptation and subsequent actions are so ludicrous that Woodward would turn in his grave if he could see his character's virtues and struggles being so lazily lambasted.

Did I also mention: it's not at all scary. The Christopher Lee scene should have gone straight to the cutting room floor. The dialogue is naff. The acting is - for the most part and excluding Clive Russell - amateur. The rituals and rites of May Day and the Riding of the Laddie fail to engage or intimidate.

Pluses? The scenery is nice. The poster art is excellent. Nic Cage isn't in it - although I'd watch that sacrilegious Wicker Man remake 10 times before I ever sat down to watch this again. Why? because for other people to demonstrate sheer stupidity in tearing apart and misunderstanding the Wicker Man legend is one thing - for Robin Hardy to do it in such a cheap, tacky, boring, patronising way is something else entirely and he should be duly ashamed.

If you love the Wicker Man, curiosity will drive to you see this anyway - I'd be really interested to hear if people found it more bearable or less disappointing than I did. Am I being too harsh? Whatever - I won't be watching it again to find out.