The Tree (I) (2010)

After the death of her father, an 8-year-old girl becomes convinced that he is whispering to her through the leaves of the gargantuan tree that towers over her house.

Director:

Julie Bertuccelli

Writers:

Judy Pascoe (novel), Julie Bertuccelli,

Stars:

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davies, Marton Csokas

1 win & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Dawn O'Neil
Morgana Davies	...	Simone O'Neil
Marton Csokas	...	George Elrick
Christian Byers	...	Tim O'Neil
Tom Russell	...	Lou O'Neil
Gabriel Gotting	...	Charlie O'Neil
Aden Young	...	Peter O'Neil
Penne Hackforth-Jones	...	Mrs. Johnson
Gillian Jones	...	Vonnie
Zoe Boe	...	Megan Lu
Bob MacKay	...	Ab
Ryan Potter	...	Tree Lopper
Murray Shoring	...	Council Inspector
Taren Stewart	...	Lou's friend
Robert Joseph Stewart	...	Lou's friend

Storyline

The O'Neills lived happily in their house in the Australian countryside. That was until one day fate struck blindly, taking the life of Peter, the father, leaving his grief-stricken wife Dawn alone with their four children. Among them, eight-year-old Simone denies this reality. She is persuaded that her father still lives in the giant fig tree growing near their house and speaks to her through its leaves. But the tree becomes more and more invasive and threatens the house. It must be felled. Of course, Simone won't allow...

---

Plot Keywords:

house | tree | countryside | death | children | 

---

Taglines:

Life is a force of nature

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official Blog Official Facebook

Country:

France Australia Germany Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 2010 (France)

Also Known As:

A Árvore

Filming Locations:

Boonah, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

€7,740,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,983 (USA) (15 July 2011)

Gross:

$69,236 (USA) (4 November 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Poisson, Taylor Media, Screen Australia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Julie Bertuccelli loved Judy Pascoe's book "Our Father Who Art in the Tree" but Australian producer Sue Taylor had already bought the rights to screen it. Julie Bertucelli and her producer Yael Fogiel decided to contact Sue Taylor and the three of them chose to make the film in partnership.

---

Crazy Credits

"No animals or trees were harmed while filming"

---

Connections

Featured in Estrenos Críticos: 03/06/2011 (2011)

---

Soundtracks

"Weak"
by Asaf Avidan & The Mojos

User Reviews

Touching but slow

This film is about a family that griefs the sudden death of the husband / father, as he collapsed while driving.

"The Tree" is an intensely introspective film, as it attempts to sculpt the emotional states, thoughts and feelings of the family members after the husband's death. As the husband's car hit a tree next to their house, the rest of the family have a special attachment to this tree. This attachment become central to the plot, and it requires much empathy to understand the characters' actions and motivation. The wife uses the tree for comfort, while the daughter Simone uses the tree as a replacement for her father. Even though the portrayals of the family's internal world are excellent, "The Tree" still suffers from being too slow and too plain for an average viewer.