By Laura Bond
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 30, 1998

Barking up the right 'Tree'

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures Arizona Daily Wildcat (l-r) Granma and Granpa (Tantoo Cardinal and James Cromwell) look on as Little Tree (Joseph Ashton) greets Willow John (Graham Greene) in "The Education of Little Tree."

The screening "The Education of Little Tree" is full of children - some of them noisy, some of them restlessly awaiting the moment when the lights will dim and the evening's feature will fill the screen. When the film ends nearly two hours later, the very same children may or may not head home with a new understanding of Native American culture, the evils of racism and the importance of nature - themes the film wears most visibly upon its sleeve. Odds are, though, most of them will have enjoyed this adventure story of a young boy's quest for self-discovery.

Set in mid-Depression Tennessee, "Little Tree" is the story of a nine-year-old boy (Joseph Ashton) who goes to live with his grandparents after the death of his mother and father. As the sole inhabitants of a modest backwoods cabin, "Granma," played by Tantoo Cardinal, and "Granpa," played by James Cromwell of Babe fame, set out to educate Little Tree on the Cherokee way of life - a tradition Granma is born into, and Granpa has adopted through marriage and a rejection of the ways of the white world.

While Granma teaches Little Tree to read from the dictionary, one word at a time beginning with "aardvark," Granpa shows him the ins and outs of the family whiskey trade, an illegal activity that eventually lands the small family in a whole heap of trouble. Little Tree discards his heavy "clunker" shoes for more natural-feeling moccasins, learns to fish and catch frogs, and develops a poignant distrust of authority, as evidenced by a scene where he outruns local sheriffs on the trail of "whiskey smugglers." Willow John, Little Tree's medicine man uncle, reportedly has "the magic," and instructs the boy in his heritage, beginning with the haranguing story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears.

"The Education of Little Tree" operates on a familiar premise, that the virtues of love and simple living shall triumph over the prejudices and oppressiveness of society. We've seen it before in scores of youth-oriented films, from "Tom Sawyer" to "The Swiss Family Robinson." This time around, the Cherokee culture represents the purer, simpler life, providing youngsters with a chance to learn about Native American history and ways of life along with a hearty dose of non-conformist ideology - all for the price of a ticket stub.

Make no mistake, this is definitely a kid's movie. Director John Friendenberg's adaptation of Forrest Carter's best-selling novel is simplistic, almost to a fault. As the movie is about the process of "educating" a nine-year-old boy, it may at times feel tedious to those of us who've long since graduated from middle school.

Tantoo Cardinal's characterization of Granma is positively regal, full of warmth, wisdom, and the sense that she, perhaps, is one of those women who enjoys running with wolves. Cromwell is appropriately rough and ruddy as Grandpa, though I half expected to see that damn pig show up somewhere.

Another notable performance comes from the perfectly ragamuffin "Little Girl" (so named in the credits), played by Mika Boorem. Little Girl befriends Little Tree, despite her father's hatred of "Injuns." The scenes between the two young actors are effectively sweet and soulful, upholding the notion that children are, by their nature, colorblind.

The script imparts a few laughs and a few mature insights, and the lush natural setting provides plenty of eye candy. Still, this is a film tailor-made for the preteen set, those who might still see the world with Little Tree's innocence. In the end, "The Education of Little Tree" is probably best suited to those with their own kids.