
The impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950's that follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.
Publisher:
[United States] : Paradox Entertainment Group, [2011]
Characteristics:
1 blu-ray disc (139 min.) :,sd., col. ;,12 cm.
Additional Contributors:
Alternative Title:
Arbre de la vie [dvd].


Comment
Add a CommentWhat an absolute and complete waste of time. One of the worst films I have ever watched, although I could only take 20 minutes of it.
Don't.....
Not for the average person
I still want to know who died!
I did not understand one bit about this movie; and yet I watched the entire film.
The film may have been thought-provoking, but I had no idea of what thoughts it was trying to provoke.
Some of the visual effects were interesting(at best), but they weren't entertaining.
If this movie has a message, it completely escaped me.
Life is bigger than we think....A beautiful, thought provoking, lyrical and philosophical film. Makes you ponder about....life.
Outstanding film effects and photography from out- of- this -world places such Yellowstone national park and Death Valley national park. Excellent performances, especially of the young boys.
Proud, that Bedrich Smetana's classical piece "The Moldau" was featured in this amazing art movie.
Loved it!
In this contemporary rendering of (part of) the Book of Job, a question is asked of God concerning the "why" of a tragic event, and God's answer is the entire history of the universe. Not since "2001: A Space odyssey" has a Hollywood film painted such a simple storyline on such a cosmic canvas. (Also like "2001", much of the soundtrack is actual classical/symphonic music, in this case Bach and Berlioz rather than Ligeti and the Strausses.) Simple family drama is crosscut with Hubble space telescope pictures (some animated), grand CG effects, and a final Wakean dream sequence. Judeo-Christian allegory is juxtaposed with (Darwinian?) cosmology in a way that hasn't been done since C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. A word for both those who find this film "too pretentious" and those who would like to congratulate yourself on being savvy enough to "get it": in both cases, don't. Just sit back an enjoy it. And then, discuss it endlessly.
Slowly starting to realize how unintelligent and stubborn the vast majority of the Okanagan is. It's one one of the greatest films of all time. Growing in size with each passing year
Yawn...Watched the first 30 minutes and turned it off. Sorry, didn't interest me.
What a mish-mash.
It starts with the grief of some family members over the death of one of them, then there's quite a variety of some pretty great imagery set to music (some of it straight from the Hubble Space Telescope - with colour added - some of it the sort of thing you'd see on any number of great nature documentaries, rounded out with some rather random computer generated imagery), followed by quite a well done story (with very little dialogue) of that same family in its early years, interrupted occasionally with a random scene of one of the now grown up "kids", and ending with a really obtuse beach scene with a lot of people never seen before all wandering around in some weird dream sequence? imaginary heaven? dead people depiction? with the young and still fully intact family in attendance..
It was all pretty "interesting" but just ok.
And yes, I'm sure there was supposed to be a "deeper" meaning behind it all, but what that is exactly is very likely up to each individual to decide, and open to endless debate.
It was a huge surprise though when the credits rolled at the end and the casting order was Brad Pitt, Sean Pean, and Jessica Claustian - in that order - when Sean Penn had pretty much a bit part and Jessica Claustian was at least as predominant as Brad Pitt throughout the film, if not more. A blatant example of sexism in the oft-accused world of Hollywood? Even with the much touted Brad Pitt at the helm? Or is everyone in Hollywood just that afraid of Sean Penn...
Didn't expect too much but I was blown away.
Agree with the 2 commenters below.
Awesome in many ways.