The Tree of Life

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by.

[silence]

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Do good to them. Wonder. Hope.

Jack:
[voice over] Brother. Keep us. Guide us. To the end of time.

[first lines]

Jack:
[in a whisper] Brother. Mother. It was they who led me to your door. [choir singing dirge]

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] The nuns taught us there were two ways through life - the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] The nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] I will be true to you. Whatever comes.

[last lines]

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice-over] I give him to you. I give you my son.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Where were You?

[silence]

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Did You know ?

R.L.:
Tell us a story from before we can remember.

Young Jack:
[voice over] Where were You? You let a boy die. You let anything happen. Why should I be good ? When You aren't.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Help each other. Love everyone. Every leaf. Every ray of light. Forgive.

Young Jack:
[voice over] Dad. [on camera] Why was he born ?

Young Jack:
[voice over] How do I get back? To where they are.

Young Jack:
[voice over] What I want to do, I can't do. I do what I hate.

Young Jack:
[voice over] I didn't know how to name You then. But I see it was You. Always You were calling me.

Father Haynes:
He is in God's hands, now.

Mrs. O'Brien:
He was in God's hands the whole time. Wasn't he?

Jack:
[voice over] I see me as a child... I see my brother. True. Kind. He died when he was 19.

Young Jack:
[voice over] Mother. Make me good. Brave.

Young Jack:
[on camera] Help me not answer my dad... Help me not to get dogs in fights... Help me to be thankful for everything I've got... [whispered voice over] Where do You live? [on camera] Help me not to tell lies. [whispered voice over] Are You watching me? I want to know what You are. I want to see what You see.

Young Jack:
I am sorry. You are my brother.

Mrs. O'Brien:
[voice over] Lord, Why? Where were you? Did you know what happened? Do you care?

Prologue:
[on screen, unspoken] "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:4,7

Mrs. O'Brien:
[pointing to the sky] That's where God lives!

Mr. O'Brien:
I wanted to be loved because I was great; A big man. I'm nothing. Look at the glory around us; trees, birds. I lived in shame. I dishonored it all, and didn't notice the glory. I'm a foolish man.

Mr. O'Brien:
[voice over] I wanted to be loved cause I was great, a Big Man. Now I'm nothing. Look. The glory around... trees, birds... I dishonored it all and didn't notice the glory. A foolish man. [on camera] They're closing the plant. I was given this choice: no job or transfer to a job nobody wants.

Mr. O'Brien:
[voice over] You're all I have. You're all I want to have. You're a sweet boy.

Mr. O'Brien:
Toscanini once recorded a piece sixty five times. You know what he said when he finished? "It could be better." Think about it.

Mr. O'Brien:
Your mother's naive. It takes fierce will to get ahead in this world. If you're good, people take advantage of you.

Father Haynes:
Do you trust in God? Job too was close to the Lord.

Mr. O'Brien:
If you want to succeed, you can't be too good!

Mrs. O'Brien:
Come here!

Young Jack:
NO! I'm gonna do what I want to do, and you let him walk all over you.

Young Jack:
She only loves ME!

Mr. O'Brien:
You are not to call me "Dad". You will only call me "Father".

Young Jack:
But...

Mr. O'Brien:
Don't interrupt!

Young Jack:
But you do...

Mr. O'Brien:
Don't interrupt!

Young Jack:
It's your house. You can kick me out whenever you want to. You'd like to kill me wouldn't you.

Mrs. O'Brien:
Light of my life. I search for you.

Mrs. O'Brien:
My hope. My child.

Mrs. O'Brien:
Unless you love, your life will flash by.

Mr. O'Brien:
You can't say I can't. You say: I'm having trouble, I'm not done yet.

Mrs. O'Brien:
What are we to you?