A twelve-year-old boy must cope with his mother's slow death and the uncertainty of his future. He shares his troubles with a giant yew tree appearing outside his bedroom window. The tree answers with sometimes confusing parables. Young Lewis MacDougall is fine as the kid. Felicity Jones looks wan as the dying mother. Liam Neeson voices the beautifully and often frightening animated tree. Sigourney Weaver rounds out the cast as a stern grandmother, who most likely will take over the young man's care. This story is dark, mysterious, and too serious for young children. The parables sometimes feel obtuse. The performances are fine; but the movie has a slow, sometimes irritating, sentimental pace. 2 stars, rated PG-13. Does it deliver what it promises? Story of a kid who has to deal with grown-up problems. Is it entertaining? Frightening and dark. Is it worth the price of admission? Not sure who the filmmakers intended this for... Too dark for kids, too sentimental for adults.
