Daily Dialogue — May 15, 2012
EXT. PATIO
The next morning R.L. turns to his mother.
R.L.
Where’s Dad?
MOTHER
Gone on a trip.
The boys go wild. They crawl around on the floor, they bounce
on the beds, they let the screen door slam carelessly behind
them. She cannot contain their energy.
JACK
We’re going to stay up late.
MOTHER
Oh no, you’re not!
STEVE
All night! Don’t say no, because
you know it makes me angry. Look at
me! I mean it!
They run through the sprinkler. Finding a lizard, they chase
her into the bathroom with it. Laughing, they ignore her
pleas, and when they hear the lock click shut, they slip it
under the door.
MONTAGE — WHILE THEIR FATHER IS AWAY
She shows them flowers, glowing colors and birds that sing,
the fruit tree at the edge of the woods, the gardenias, the
wings of little creatures beneath a magnifying glass. So many
mysteries! She shows them a barn swallow’s nest.
MOTHER
They trust us — not to knock it down.
She gives them a book of natural history. His hands leaf
through the pages. There are dinosaurs, frogs and armor-
plated fish with names too long to pronounce. The Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
She shows them the leaf of a tall locust tree and sets it
next to a pea vine, demonstrating the family relation there
sometimes is between things large and small. For a time all
is at it was. The hours go by uncounted.
— R.L. (Laramie Eppler), Mother (Jessica Chastain), Jack (Hunter McCracken), Steve (Tye Sheridan), The Tree of Life (2011), written by Terrence Malick
http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?shortid=2npa
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is non-verbal ‘dialogue’ suggested by Liz Swan. Today’s suggestion by Teddy Pasternak.
Trivia: The origin of this film goes back to the late 1970s, when after Days of Heaven director Terrence Malick was working on a project named “Q”, that would explore the origins of life on earth. He abandoned the project, but this film contains elements from it.
Dialogue On Dialogue: From Teddy’s post: “The look on RL’s face when he learns that his dad will be away for a few days is priceless. And the way the boys act says it all. Now they’re free to play, enjoy life and be kids again without having their abusive father hovering over them. And Mrs. O’Brien is free to be the mother she wants to be — to raise her kids with love, laughter and encouragement instead of fear.” All through no dialogue.