#120: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

and why you shouldn't skip the movie. (Source Material, Vol. 15)

Hello readers,

A few weeks ago marked the end of a fantastic 8 weeks of reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with The Big Read. I love this book and it is one of my all-time favorites. I highlighted 84 passages and consider it essential reading for my children when they get to the right age.

The book was published in 1943 and a film released two years later in 1945. It wasn’t easy to find a copy of the movie, but my local library had a DVD. I popped it in and after the first few minutes, I had an idea of what I was going to say: This movie is entirely skippable.

Then I kept watching.

I’m here to tell you that the film is a lovely piece of cinema that not only managed to include my favorite part of the book, but also pulled it off in an emotionally satisfying way. If you haven’t read the book, I hope you read it. And if you’ve read the book but haven’t seen the movie, I hope you can find a way to watch it.

(Since I’ll be discussing a scene that takes place near the end, I’m putting a spoiler tag even though nothing I say could spoil your experience with this beautiful book!)

Spoilers ahead

Joan Blondell embodies Aunt Sissy’s love and was my favorite character from the movie

I’ve read this book twice now, once via audio and another via ebook and paperback, and both times were a special experience. The story beautifully explores what it’s like to be young, come of age, and lose innocence. It gets to the heart of unmet expectations and of being disappointed with the hand life dealt but making the best of it.

But what the story does best is the relationships. The love and tenderness between Francie and Johnny are front and center in the book and the main focus of the movie. The two actors (Peggy Ann Garner and James Dunn) share more screen time than any other pairing.

The movie’s run time is just over 2 hours and excludes so many classic scenes from the book, but it turns out I only needed one scene to make me happy: The flowers from Papa. In the book, this scene is such a touching character moment. The small gesture of writing out a simple card in advance means the world to Francie. It reminded me as a parent that children don’t need grand, expensive gestures to feel loved.

In the movie, the scene is practically perfect. Joan Blondell, who is the aunt Sissy from my imagination, brings a feminine poise to the situation as she stands watch at the bathroom door. Peggy Ann Garner as Francie is good for most of the movie, but becomes great as she breaks down with a combination of joy and heartache. It took me by surprise and made the eyes well up!

In closing, while I was prepared to tell you to skip this 1945 film that’s a little slow and doesn’t quite measure up to the book, it ended up being a great way to see a representation of the characters and the story Betty Smith created.

And for that, I recommend it.¹

“Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of that grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. It’s growing out of sour earth. And it’s strong because its hard struggle to live is making it strong. My children will be strong that way.”

Thanks for being here! I’d love to know what you’re reading and enjoying these days.

Kyle

1. End notes: Could this be remade today? It is so wholesome, but also has a no-nonsense toughness that isn’t “edgy.” I doubt Hollywood could strike the balance. I suppose a tone similar to Spielberg’s recent movie The Fabelman’s comes close. I might prefer it remain untouched and continue to exist perfectly in my head.

The movie includes the Christmas tree throwing scene, which was my second favorite part of the movie. I loved how it was depicted - they actually threw a tree at the child actors!

The movie also included some of my favorite catch phrases from the book: Johnny calling Francie prima donna, Katie saying “before you know it,” and Francie and Neeley mentioning “olden times.”

Katie Nolan is played by Dorothy McGuire, who later in her career played the matriarch of the Robinson family in Swiss Family Robinson, which was a staple of my childhood.