MovieChat Forums > A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Discussion > Favorite scene?

Favorite scene?

posted 17 years ago by dwightandkris
29 replies | jump to latest

I noticed on another post that many, many folks said that the scene with Johnny playing "Annie Laurie" on the piano was their favorite scene...but every time I watch this film, I always look forward to the scenes with Francie and Aunt Sissy.

It seemed at times that only Aunt Sissy could actually see the deep pain that Francie was in.

When Aunt Sissy brings in the newspaper clipping for Francie to read to her, it is obvious that Aunt Sissy can see Francie's broken heart.

And my favorite is the graduation when Aunt Sissy takes her to the classroom after a classmate tells Francie not to forget her flowers. Francie is befuddled by the fact that there are flowers for her! But from who? When she reads the card and Aunt Sissy tells her about the arrangement that Johnny made with her to make certain that Francie had flowers to carry during graduation, that touches and breaks my heart. For a brief moment, in the card and flowers, Primadonna has her Papa back with her, and she can hold back her grief no longer.
It almost seems as if Francie has a more serene look on her face for the rest of movie, as though she knows that it is alright to move on now.

I've probably seen this movie at least 20 times, but I am compelled to watch it everytime it is on t.v., like it was this morning. They just don't make movies like this anymore.

[–] bookwormdreamer 17 years ago

It's my favorite scene too it also plays out that way in the book but just with more detail.I always find it interesting that Johnny knew to give the card and the money to Sissy and not Katie.Sissy really knew the heart so well.I like the Sissy/Francie scenes in the movie and the book above all others.I wish they would have been able to show more about Sissy's life in the move but the censors would never allow it.This is one of the rare films I would like to see a really good remake of because too much gets left out.It's great as far as it goes but so much more needs to be in the film to really tell Francie's story.

[–] JohnnyOldSoul 17 years ago

The scene that breaks my heart every time, is when the Nolans have their own little party after Johnny comes home from his job at Klompers. After the kids have gone to bed, Johnny goes into all the dreams he has for the family and Katie is really getting into it, before reality comes crashing down on her and she erupts: "Johnny stop it, stop talking." The look on James Dunn's face is absolutely shattering.

Two other scenes are favorites of mine. The conversation between Francie and Johnny at Christmas:

Johnny: "You'd better stick out your tongue Prima Donna. Oh, it's just as I thought. You gotta bad case, a very bad case."
Fancie: "Case of what Papa?"
Johnny: "A very bad case of growin' up."

And of course, Francie's line: "My cup runneth over."

This film never fails to move me, every time I watch it.

[–] rstory-3 17 years ago

The birth of the child. Everything comes pouring out.

Waffles Anyone
rstory-3
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731

[–] detailsautumnrain 17 years ago

After reading the posted question, I gave it some thought. Unfortunately, I came up with both thoughts that all of you posted! I hate sounding unoriginal.

I was gonna pick 'the camera shot showing what was written on the card'. That moment is magic and touching. It is both sad and heart-warming at the same time. Probably the best scene in the movie for me.

Then . . . . I thought again. Seeing it for the first time in 1994, the scene that actually stole the movie from Francie (after seeing the movie four times in one day) was Katie's child birth scene!

Just the look on her face alone did it for me. The first time, as she is staring blankly into space as Francie's reading the composition to her - you really do feel baaadddd for her. You can sense her pain, her loss and a lot of regret in her treatment of Johnny when he was alive. It all comes to the fore and we get to see it. No, not fun nor funny viewing that. But it's a great scene!!

kev

[–] lolarites 14 years ago

This is also my favorite scene. Every woman who is about to give birth wants the child's father with her and Katie was sorely missing her husband. She realizes for the first time that Francie loves him as much as she does and maybe that can be a bond between them that had not existed before. Francie, on the other hand, was pleased to have a moment of closeness between them, something only women can share and it made Francie feel like she belonged in the world of women. Katie was jealous of Katie and Johnny relationship and when she needed Francie the most, she was glad she was there for her and probably felt a little guilty for being so hard on her. It was a very powerful scene and so much was going on at the same time. Francie did a lot of growing up in that moment and Katie did a lot of forgiving--herself for failing Francie and Johnny for failing them all.

And God bless Mr. McShane who came and saved the family and wanted the baby to have his name.

[–] sarabandit 14 years ago

My favorite scene is..of course...the flowers on her desk/the shock on her face and Aunt Sissy taking her to the bathroom and telling her to let it all out. I cry through this ENTIRE movie but at this point I just start weeping.

Anything with Aunt Sissy is great...even though she may seem carefree (and boycrazy) on the outside, she sees things for what they really are better than anyone else. She reads Francie better than her own mother does.

Another favorite moment is when Francie shows her dad the school and he realizes that this is the one wish she has for herself more than anything. You can see that, more than anything, Francie wants to learn and it just about breaks my heart to think she would have to quit school to earn some money for the family. Great movie!!!!

I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue...

[–] risaacsi 17 years ago

My favorite scene in this great old film is Jimmy Dunn singing " Annie Laurie".
Til this day his rendition brings a tear to my eye.
-Rod

[–] thegreatcory 17 years ago

Just saw the movie for the first time, and it's already on my 'to own' list. ;)

...as for the scene with the flowers at Francies' grad, I simply lost it, full stop. I bawled like a baby.

Francie never expected to have fancy flowers like all the 'richer' kids had, but the fact her dad had arranged for her to have the luxury of a bouquet at her grad meant not only a lot to Francie, but also to the sympathetic viewer(yours truly included), as well.. one of the most heart-wrenching scenes I can think of.

[–] Xcalat3 15 years ago

now that was a great scene

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] downtownblah 16 years ago

A pair of scenes that do not mean much without the other: 1) the strict, inflexible teacher in Brooklyn, whom I am sure crushed many a child's talent by only recognizing rote memorization, and the teacher's failure to recognize that Francie had a deeper, more analytical take on the passage, and told Francie she wanted only the name of the meter and did not care to hear anything further as to the passage's meaning and chastised her for making the class lesson run late and 2) when these same abilities were admired and encouraged by her new teacher in the nice neighborhood, with guidance on how to funnel her imagination into more advanced writings.

I understand, especially from the novel, the inner-city public school teachers were under-trained. The tutelage of children in the inner-city was treated no differently than producing widgets at the factories in the neighborhood, hence the large class sizes and the spartan benches the children sat on, made clear in both the movie and the novel. The principal or superintendent was HAPPY to see Francie transfer out, asking no questions as to the veracity of her father's note. His only thought on the matter was positive in that it would bring his student census down.

[–] bastasch8647 16 years ago

Francie's face. In the hall as she watches her Dad comforting the little terminally-ill girl. No sign of jealousy from Francie. She loves her Dad, and she loves that her Dad is treating the little neighbor girl lovingly. As Dad talks to the little girl, the camera focuses on Francie as her face beams with what is probably the sweetest, most gracious smile in cinematic history. Francie is a loving child and in this scene Peggy Ann Garner completely duplicated Francie. Actor and character became one and the same. Pure magic.

[–] kristenspilman 15 years ago

You are right about that. You can see the love for her Dad in her eyes and that she is proud to be the daughter of this loving, kind and gentle man.
Such a touching scene.

KAS1958

[–] Poseidon-3 16 years ago

I love all the scenes mentioned above, but for some odd reason, my favorite MOMENT in the film is when everyone's wondering where the children are and they come tearing down the street with the Christmas tree. I love the way Joan "Sissy" Blondell presses Dorothy "Katie" McGuire to support the children in their endeavors to make Christmas special and to let go for just that long of the worries.

[–] bastasch8647 16 years ago

Yes, that's another beautiful scene in a film filled with them...

[–] Alix1929 15 years ago

I like several scenes:

1) When Francie & her dad walk to the new school, and she says the "My cup runneth over" line. So well acted, by both!

2) Francie & Sissy at Francie's graduation, when Sissy gets her to go back to her classroom and she finds the flowers & card.

3) Mr. McShane asking for permission to "keep company" with the family. He is such a wonderful character, and so full of dignity. You can just tell he will love Neely & Francie, as well as the baby like they were his own.

4) Francie, Neely, Sissy & Katie at the ice cream parlor.

[–] rstory-3 14 years ago

You are so right about this film having so many great scenes. I may have my own favorites, but I have no argument over the others people have choosen. I just watched it yesterday. I make it one of my holiday videos to watch every year. It improves my spirit on these cold dark Winter days.

Waffles Anyone
rstory-3
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731

[–] casey77 15 years ago

The entire Christmas scene...from Francie getting out of school for Christmas break, to the pie, to the tree, to singing "Silent Night" up the stairs, to Mr. McShane's candy canes, to the coffee, to the homemade candle and presents, to Johnny's talk with Francie. It's perfection.

[–] TooManyFives 13 years ago

This film from about 30 minutes in every scene is my favourite up until the last 1 wich always falls a little flat for me. If i had to pick just 1 it would be Katies labour scene.

It's haunting! And the speach she makes about never doing a wrong thing in her life but that not being enough.

[–] brucedgo 12 years ago

The scenes just kept coming and coming especially toward the end. But my "first" favorite might be when Francie got the pie from her teacher. It may not seem like much, but it really got to me.

... and the rocks it pummels.
- James Berardinelli

[–] ProFromDover (286) 5 years ago

The flowers and card scene. But I've always wondered if the aunt --Sissy--hadn't done that herself.

I guess Francie could have recognized his writing but it didn't seem like something her father would carry out, even if he had thought about it.