The Education of Little Tree

The Education of Little Tree was a very well crafted film but I found some of the plot disappointing. We're supposed to wish that little tree stay with his grandparents forever, but the way they were raising him made it impossible for me to do so. Why should I want him to be able to stay with grandparents who preach hatred for white people and teach him disrespect for the law and how to make moonshine in a hidden mountain still. Seems to me this would make a misfit in society who is bound to end up in jail.

I didn't even know that this book had been filmed, until I stumbled across it on cable. The movie is hokey, mostly, but the story is so incredibly powerful that it is worthwhile, no matter how it is conveyed. The book is on my all-time top-20 list. The film is not. But it is still worth seeing, for it does represent the social facts of life encountered by Forrest Carter, as described in this autogiography.

This movie is so calm & spiritual. The mountains, the music, the slow easy way of life this family shares. I love the way Grandma deals with her grandson Little Tree. She teaches him what she knows with grace & patience. Little Tree is very blessed to have his Grandma & her brother Willow John show him his heritage. And Grandpa is a wonderful character. From his moon-shining business to his rescuing Little Tree from that stupid boarding school, Grandpa had my heart. Every time I need to slow down from this crazy world, I watch Little Tree. And dream of the beautiful life they share in those beautiful mountains - yeah....calms me down.

I thought this movie was beautiful and moving. Fantastic acting by James Cromwell and Tantoo Cardinal. I think the movie got lost amongst the big studio dribble. Too bad. There should be more movies like this.

It is 1935 in the mining town of Jericho City, Tennessee. Little Tree (Joseph Ashton) lost his mother a year after his father died in the Army. His grandparents (James Cromwell, Tantoo Cardinal) take him away from his white trash Aunt Martha into their mountain home. They live an Indian life. He makes moonshine whiskey with his good friend Cherokee Willow John (Graham Greene). Little Tree befriends a little girl (Mika Boorem). They face discrimination from the powerful and racism from everybody. Eventually the authorities force Little Tree into a residential school where they rename him Joshua. It is a little distressing to find out the authorship of the book. However I can't actually find any deliberate racism in the movie. It's a fine little movie but not that compelling. The little kid is fine. Cromwell is great as always. It's about their relationship and it's a nice little story about that.