A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Fantastic!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

In the mid-'40s, in the midst of producing some uncertain literary adaptations and boring musicals, 20th Century Fox did itself proud with this stirring version of Betty Smith's famous novel. Set in 1912 Brooklyn, it's remarkably atmospheric and un-Hollywood looking, and helped by Alfred Newman's hurdy-gurdy scoring, zeroing in on time and place as few studio movies of the era were able to. The screenplay's an entirely reasonable reduction of the rich novel, and the cast is extraordinary. I've been reading so much praise of Peggy Ann Garner's Francie, and just want to add: She has such a stillness about her, the look of someone who's hearing music no one else can, and she gets deep, deep into the bones of this questioning young girl. James Dunn captures Johnny's dreaminess and too-willingness to fool himself, and Dorothy McGuire doesn't short-sell Katie's hard-to-like practicality. Elia Kazan shoots it with considerable artistry, always putting the camera where it ought to be, and doesn't over-sentimentalize, which would be very tempting with this property. At a leisurely 128 minutes, it has a couple of scenes that could have been cut and a couple more that end inconclusively, but it's a grownup, moving movie that improves with age.

This classic movie, based on Betty Smith's autobiographical novel, was Elia Kazan's directorial debut. Though the entire cast was wonderful, James Dunn won a well-deserved Oscar, here, for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.Since this story is about a poor family in greater New York City around the turn of the century, I sometimes get it mixed up with that of George Stevens' I Remember Mama. However, any momentary confusion is soon rectified when I recall the cast and the character difference between the two maternal figures (Irene Dunne in I Remember Mama and Dorothy McGuire in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. McGuire was great at playing 'hard' and serious characters, as she later did in Kazan's Gentleman's Agreement and Mann's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960).To me, this is one of those many priceless movies in which life is viewed from a child's point of view (how they see--and feel--things that are going on around them and within the family. The protagonist, here, is 12 or 13 year-old Francie Nolan (Peggy Ann Garner). Her acting may be a little over-sentimental, but I think her role may have called for it. On the other hand, Ted Donaldson is refreshingly realistic as her younger brother, Neeley.The Nolan family is poor and has learned to live by all of the cost- savings means humanly possible. For example, the two children go to a cheaper school and work on Saturdays as 'rag pickers,' gathering trash on the streets and selling it to the neighborhood junk man. On Christmas Eve, they wait until all of the other Christmas trees have been sold and then gather at the tree lot as the vendor throws his leftover trees to anyone whom can catch them.The children's mother, Katie Nolan (Dorothy McGuire), works hard doing domestic work, cutting corners, and being the disciplinarian of the family so they can survive. As a result, those around her often see her as 'hard.' Her husband, Johnny Nolan, aka 'The Brooklyn Thrush' (James Dunn), works at night as a singing waiter for a small salary--but mainly for tips. He is a pipe dreamer, a romantic, and a drunk. Everyone in the neighborhood, including the local policeman, Officer McShane (Lloyd Nolan), knows it—but they all love him anyway--and learn to call him 'sick' when he comes home drunk. Johnny fills Francie's head full of fanciful dreams about being discovered by an impresario and telling her what he will do for the family when he is discovered and 'his ship comes in.' When Francie dreams of going to a better school down the block, her father helps her get into it by making up an address that is within the school district.Katie's fun-loving sister, Aunt Sissy (Joan Blondell), often comes to visit and often has a new husband—'Aunt Sissy has gone and done it again.' She, too, wants to see that the children are not too hardened by Katie and that they get to enjoy their life. Although everyone wants Francie to be protected from life's hardships, soon must see things as they are.

In the early 1900s, the Nolans, a poor Brooklyn tenement family, fight not only to survive, but also to improve their lives. The studious Francie worships her father, waiter and aspiring singer Johnny, despite him being an alcoholic and a pipe dreamer. With a strong temper, mother Katie holds the family together, including a flirtatious and impetuous aunt. Dorothy McGuire is a perfect mother who keeps her family together, but loses and regains some humanity in the process. She was an underrated actress in her time, always gave great performances. Peggy Ann Garner in one of the best child performances I have seen as an intelligent and caring daughter. What an incredible and moving film; made me cry many times while watching girl Francie reverencing her father and helping out her mother. A film worth seeing more than once.

This is a movie without flaws. I hadn't seen it in awhile and forgot how gruesome it can be. But it also is loving towards the frailty of human beings. Thank goodness it gave us a happy ending after all we had been through. Should have won the Oscar for Best Picture but who trusts awards. Dorothy McGuire has a role that requires so much range. She is brilliant. As is Dunne and Garner. Even the actress playing the teacher makes an enormous impact in her short scene. The kid playing Neely was unlike what we expect of cute fat kid actors of the time - stunningly honest. Kazan once said in an interview that this was his finest film. No argument from me. This one will live forever.