The Tree

Director: Julie Bertuccelli
Writer: Julie Bertuccelli
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marton Csokas, Morgana Davies, Christian Byers, Tom Russell, Gabriel Gottin, Aden Young
Theatrical Release Date: July 15, 2011 8:41 AM
Criticwire: C+
On The Web Film Website IMDB Entry

Synopsis: Dawn and Peter O’Neil live together with their children, on the outskirts of a small country town. Next to their rambling house stands the kids’ favorite playground: a giant Moreton Bay Fig tree, whose branches reach high towards the sky and roots stretch far into the ground. Everything seems perfect until Peter suffers a heart attack, crashing his car into the tree’s trunk. Dawn is devastated, left alone with her grief and four children to raise. Until one day, 8-yearold Simone, reveals a secret to her mother. She’s convinced her father whispers to her through the leaves of the tree and he’s come back to project them. Dawn takes comfort from Simone’s imagination, and the tree starts to dominate their physical and emotional landscape. But the close bond between mother and daughter, forged through a mutual sorrow and shared secret, is threatened by the arrival of George, the plumber, called in to remove the tree’s troublesome roots. As the relationship between Dawn and George blossoms, the tree continues to grow, with its branches infiltrating the house, its roots destroy the foundations. Feeling increasingly isolated, Simone takes refuge in her beloved tree, refusing to come down. Dawn is forced to make an agonising decision. But as the heavens open and nature takes over, she may have left it too late. Based on the novel "Our Father Who Art in the Tree" by Judy Pascoe. [Synopsis courtesy of Taylor Media]