Amazon.com
In 1935, an 8-year-old orphaned boy is sent to live in the Tennessee mountains with his grandparents. He doesn’t yet know that he is half Cherokee, on his grandmother’s side. As he learns about life and the Cherokee “way” from his grandparents, Little Tree’s sensitivity to nature and to others grows. At first it might seem easy to dismiss this movie as hokey, especially when Little Tree’s Scottish grandfather teaches him to make whiskey and he befriends a dog. But the film… More >>
Tags: amazon, cherokee, education, education of little tree, grandmother, grandparents, hokey, Little, tennessee mountains, Tree, whiskey
#1 by Anonymous on April 8, 2010 - 1:28 pm
This video, which is based on a fictional story often portrayed as an authentic autobiography, is one more example of “playing Indian.” It would be nice to see this story left in the dustbin of history where it belongs, with more genuine stories of Native Americans getting attention. Personally, I don’t want my kids reading or watching a story about Native Americans written by a notorious KKK member. The appeal of the book and the video should make readers and viewers question whether they are partaking of a myth. There are several good films about Indians. This isn’t one.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by G. Dallaire on April 8, 2010 - 2:54 pm
This movie was horrible. My five children ages 7-15 all walked away from it after 45 minutes. My wife and I continued to watch it for another 15 minutes, then we couldn’t take it anymore and shut it off. The movie critisises on numerous occasions Christians and also white people in general, and the “grandpa” blasphemes and curses throughout the movie. Also, grandpa makes illegal whiskey and teaches his grandson the “trade” and also teaches him to lie to cover it up. If there was a 0 star rating, that is what I would give this movie. Do not waste your time.
Rating: 1 / 5
#3 by Molly A. Pate on April 8, 2010 - 3:36 pm
Doesn’t really follow the book. Other things movie makers need to is focus on logic of the charactors. It was quite obvious that he could have just rolled under the gates at the school, rather than bust them open.
Rating: 3 / 5
#4 by Dog Res Q.R. on April 8, 2010 - 5:23 pm
I caught this movie on TV this morning, had never heard of the book.
Whoa, where to start!
From the opening moments, too much exposition of who,what,where, why and when instead of peppering it out sparingly through the movie.
Everyone is a walking cliche’. I winced when Graham Greene first came on screen dressed like what Hollywood thinks an Indian should look like, he being quiet and so attuned to the “spirits” he could barely speak. I hated that the director chose to “tell” of the Trails of Tears instead of “showing” it to us via flashbacks. In fact I zoned out during this 5 minute disseration and never heard the end.
Little Tree is 8 years old in this story, talks with the wisdom of a 50 year old. Yuk! I HATE that! He speaks in phrases that belong in a Hallmark sympathy card.
James Cromwell did less than phone in his performance with acting so bad I was squirming. The director/writer(?) made his character spew so much exposition during the beginning of the movie I wanted to yell “Shut up!Just SHUT UP!”
Everyone else in the movie was pure Appalachian, inbred Deliverance types. We just needed some good ol’ banjo music, but we got the fiddle player instead.
The director whose name I have thankfully forgotten shamelessly stole cinematic scenes from Legends of the Fall, The Yearling (the death of grandpa vs Penny Baxter’s ill with snakebite bedscene, both identically composed and lit) and probably A River Runs Through It. I don’t know if this director’s still making movies, but we can only pray he isn’t. Truthfully I don’t believe this story would have translated well to the screen, some just can’t make the leap, but in the hands of Robert Redford, who is a true cinematic artist, I think he could have truly improved upon the book as he did with the exquisite Horse Whisperer.
The scene when Grandpa comes to save Little Tree at the school and stabs the knife into the ground by the gate is so heavy handed I laughed. It screamed, “Look! This is a message! We’re making a point here! And we’ll make danged sure you don’t miss it! ”
This movie is every best-selling author’s nightmare of what COULD become of the baby they have labored to conceive, gestate and deliver.
Rating: 1 / 5
#5 by Susan G. on April 8, 2010 - 6:31 pm
I rented this movie and was initially delighted with the cinamotography and actors. Not long into the film the thrust of the message became overt: all things Indian are wise, good and wonderful; all things white or Christian are hypocritic, laughable and not to be trusted. The writer commited the same atrocity on whites and Christians that was done to American Indians by the U.S. government and white settlers that were biggoted, selfish and downright evil. You don’t right wrongs by portraying history incorrectly or by blanket statements that condem all. In the end, what could have been a good movie became predictable, a lie and boring.
Rating: 1 / 5