A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

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Michelle B. @Mbrenegade67 Mar 4, 2026 My all time favorite book! See more C P. @BahnianBabby Dec 25, 2025 Christmas Classic 10/10 See more Margaret @Margaret47 Oct 6, 2023 Seriously inferior to its source material. Betty Smith's novel depicts a world of unrelenting harshness, pain and danger, where even the smallest acts of kindness or bits of beauty or moments of comfort are cherished. None of the book's pain and hunger and cruelty are evident here: the sadistic teachers, judgmental gossips and savage bullies. Here the indifferent librarian is kind, the neighboorhood shopkeepers like children, and Francie's teacher encourages her to write about the ugly truth of things rather than shaming her for it. Most disappointingly, a book that is candidly and beautifully about the experiences of females -- which deals frankly with female desire and the raw pain of childbirth -- now barely passes the Bechdel test. Johnny Nolan becomes the center of the film and remains its center after his absence, until another male can be found to take his place. He's also played by a 44 year old man, 15 years older than his wife, when Johnny's main draw was meant to have been his youth and golden beauty. This movie begs to be remade in a time where women can tell their own stories, where sex, pregnancy and childbirth are not taboo, and cruelty and pain aren't sanitized away. See more Ernie K @ErnieK Aug 19, 2023 A deeply affecting drama; sweet yet sad, full of optimistic strains amidst consistently pessimistic circumstances, and rife with superior performances. A young girl's dreams, a family's stark realities, and the cord of emotional connection between father and daughter. See more red t @RT43513976 Jan 13, 2023 A Classic Drama. The acting is very well done throughout and gets exceptional in parts in the 2nd Act. James Dunn steals the show and a very strong performance by everyone else in particular Peggy Ann Carter. The Cinematography is the highlight of this film and is exceptional throughout. The shots are always well framed, beautifully detailed, intimate settings and rich with character and things always going on in the background making things pop. The editing and pacing are very well crafted and seamless with the only complaint being the first half while the scenes are very well done take a bit to actually form a story with it. But the payoff is very deserving still. The Music also is decent in this but I would have liked to have seen a bit more use as it would have done a lot to help with the pacing in the first half especially. Overall this is a Classic Drama and anyone that is a fan of the book or fans of Dramas, Elia Kazan, or any of the actors in this should give this a watch. See more Feb 8, 2022 Such a charming film. I watched this with someone who had just finished reading the book. I knew nothing about the film but it very quickly charmed me. Highly recommended and the cast are great! Pure classic movie that will warm your heart. See more Read all reviews

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

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