A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, James Gleason, Ted Donaldson, Peggy Ann Garner, Ruth Nelson, John Alexander, B.S. Pully, Robert J. Anderson, Jessie Arnold, Leon Shamroy, Elia Kazan, Dorothy Spencer, Louis D. Lighton, Anita Loos, Betty Smith, Frank Davis, Tess Slesinger: Amazon.ca: Video

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Elia Kazan made his directorial debut with this adaptation of Betty Smith's novel about a bright, young girl growing up in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn, trying to rise above her tenement existence. Sensitively filmed by Kazan, and graced with wonderful performances by James Dunn as the wistful, alcoholic father and Dorothy McGuire as a strong-willed mother. Peggy Ann Garner won a special Oscar for her performance. --Tom Keogh

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Customer Reviews

39 Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Preserves the Integrity and Flavor of the Book, Sep 8 2005

By

J. H. Sweet - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Tree Grows in Brooklyn (DVD)

Though a bit fast-paced and somewhat similar in style to a stage play, this movie very much brings Betty Smith's characters and their plights to life and does not leave us wishing they had treated the written work with more care. My mother was born and raised as a city girl, and her descriptions of growing up in Philadelphia remind me of this portrayal of life in Brooklyn. I very much envision a reflection of many things my mother described about her childhood in this movie. For example, that some children she grew up with had never seen a cow. A parallel of this exists in the film when Francie writes about going to see cotton fields. The longing behind this is very similar to the stories my mother related to me.

The opposites attract theory is wonderfully done in this story, and I ache for Dorothy McGuire's character, and her struggles, especially her iron will to do what is right for her family's survival. The conflict of Pipedreamer versus Realist is well balanced, so that we are not judgmental of either's actions. The interplay between the characters leads nicely to the heart wrenching loss of one and the anguish of the other over what could have been done differently. The devastating effects of alcoholism are featured in this film, but in contrast with a strong element of hope. Also, the reality of the numbers of children born at home and the infant mortality rate of the time period are also presented, but not stressed so overwhelmingly as to take away from the happiness of the new additions to the family and the positive direction of their future.

Joan Blondell's portrayal of Aunt Sissy is my favorite part of this movie. She is charming, funny, steadfast, quirky, and absolutely perfect.

What is interesting about this film in comparison to the book is that only about two-thirds of the family's story is told. I would definitely recommend reading the novel if you want to know about Francie and Neeley as far as their careers after graduation, and what happens to the rest of the family. The book also goes into much greater detail as far as the extent of the struggle with poverty and the multitudes of families who experience similar situations. For those who enjoy this movie, I also recommend I Remember Mama.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood Classic, Jun 30 2011

By

Allan Yee (Edmonton, AB) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Import, All Regions) (DVD)

Years ago, I saw an announcement that this movie would be included in Fox's 20th Century Masters DVD series, but I don't think this ever went ahead. The quality of the print on this this stripped down, all region Korean import DVD is not the best (it's similar to the VHS tape I have of the movie), but it's the movie itself that's of primary importance, right? Anyway, anyone who's read and liked the classic Betty Smith novel on which this is based will appreciate this adaptation. With the sets, the costumes, the dialogue and other period details, it captures quite well the atmosphere of Brooklyn at the beginning of the 20th century. To move the main story along, the movie emphasizes slightly different things than the novel and the ending is wrapped up just a bit too patly in two short scenes, but given the short hand nature of the medium, it's really quite good. The principals (Dorothy McGuire, James Dunn - he won an Oscar for this role, Peggy Ann Garner) turn in excellent performances and are supported by a fine complement of character actors (Lloyd Nolan, James Gleason, Joan Blondell at this stage in her career). A shame Peggy Ann Garner's subsequent career never went much further on the big screen.

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best movies of all time!, July 27 2004

By

Ellen Ropchan (Ottawa, Ontario - CANADA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (VHS Tape)

A real tear-jerker. The first time I watched this movie, I was about 18 years old. I stumbled upon it by chance, and probably would not have given it a second thought had I come across it in the tv listings. Lucky for me, it was playing on tv instead of some other trash that I was going to watch... and something made me stay tuned. I never expected what was to come... one of the most heartwarming... intriguing... and thought-provoking movies of all-time. For two hours, we ARE Francie Nolan... living the life of a young girl coming of age... in a tiny apartment with her family... dealing with poverty... trying to find herself... and trying desperately to hold on to her dreams... It is truly a masterpiece, a one-of-a-kind original!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Faithful to the book
Even though this movie has been around for quite a while, one wonders (and worries) how faithful the movie-makers were to the book, especially since the novel made a come-back... Read more

Published on Jun 9 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Francie's World
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a beautiful and thoughtful book. The screen version is one of my favorite films of all time. Read more

Published on Jun 16 2003 by Eugenia Renskoff