TCM Pick O’ The Day: Sunday, February 8th
by John Nolte
5pm PST – Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A (1945) – A girl in the slums tries to find her way with the help of her devoted mother and alcoholic father. Cast: Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan Dir: Elia Kazan BW-129 mins, TV-G
Watch in awe as you realize this lyrical, timeless family drama was Elia Kazan’s feature film directorial debut. There was nothing this extraordinary explorer of the human condition couldn’t do and his work will survive as long as there’s a civilization, and much longer than anything made by those who refused to stand when the 89 year-old was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1999. Of course, that’s me being generous and assuming we haven’t already forgotten the classic canon of Nick Nolte and Amy Madigan.
A perfect triple feature would be today’s pick, “Life With Father” and “I Remember Mama.” Nothing old-fashioned about any of these. Each is a complicated, thematically driven human drama that manages to tell many truths about life without resorting to cynicism or any of the other crutches used so often today. The bitter and the sweet as opposed to the ironic and the pointless.
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14 Comments
Thanks for heads up, DVR set to record.
Whenever I see this title (usually in book form), I can’t help but think about “Last Exit to Brooklyn,” and that gang-rape scene with Jennifer Jason Leigh, which makes me depressed, since I’d fallen in love with her from “Fast Times…”
James Dunn can be seen in a comedy show called “It’s A Great Life” on American Life cable channel at midnight on saturdays & sundays. Also stars Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee from Mayberry).
John is right about being in awe as you watch this movie. The first time I caught it I was flipping through the channels and I couldn’t stop watching it. Peggy Ann Garner is especially good as Francie, a performance most actors today in Hollywood have never been able to pull off.
It’s good to remember when politicians today talk about how bad the economy is that there was once a time where we had real poverty and hardships.
Did anyone notice the music played during “Sahara” at the water well, is the same music played during the ship battle in “Ben-Hur” 1959? I think I’ve heard it in a number of other films as well.
“The old films honored the love of people for one another.
The new films are ‘too smart’ to do that.”
Carolyn-
Watch The Incredibles or Finding Nemo. That’s where the ‘old films’ have gone.
i am 42 years old and had never seen this movie before last night. I was riveted, and almost forgot I was watching an old movie at times. The girl who played Francie was just incredible; when she was reading her composition to her mother, I almost sobbed out loud. I am so glad I got to see it!
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