


Then, visuals depict the birth of the universe, followed by the creation of Earth and the beginning of life. In 2010, eldest son Jack is adrift in his modern life in Dallas, Texas as an architect, disillusioned by his life full of disappointments. O'Brien are informed of the death of their 19-year-old son, R.L., throwing the family into turmoil. The film begins with a quote from the Book of Job 38:4-7, before a mysterious, flame-like light flickers in the darkness.Īround the 1960s, Mrs. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?.

The Tree of Life received three Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography. It has since been ranked by some publications as one of the greatest films of the 2010s, of the 21st century, or of all time. It ranked number one on review aggregator Metacritic's "Film Critic Top Ten List of 2011", and made more critics' year-end lists for 2011 than any other film. The film chronicles the origins and meaning of life by way of a man's early life memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the known universe and the inception of life on Earth.Īfter several years in development and missing its planned 20 release dates, The Tree of Life premiered in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Palme d'Or. Its main cast includes Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler, Jessica Chastain, and Tye Sheridan in his debut feature film role. The Tree of Life is a 2011 American experimental coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick.
