Parents' Guide to

The Man Who Planted Trees

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Ethereal, serious animated films with environmental themes.

Movie NR 2004 315 minutes
The Man Who Planted Trees Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 7+

Based on 2 parent reviews

alantaylor
alantaylor Adult
July 30, 2022
age 4+

Rare movie with nothing bad in it, far more enjoyable than we expected (review by wife of user)

We didn't know what to expect with this movie, and I almost didn't let my 7/8 year old see it because of the average of 10, had to look everywhere online, even call up the person who lent it. Yes, nothing in it. It's a puppet show with no objectionable content. I was worried that the environmentalism would be heavy-handed (earth-friendly here but not an extremist), but this didn't even touch on that. It was more of a movie about how a person could make a difference than one about the environment, with a lot of humor. So why do I think the average age would be so high? There's French in it, and some people don't want their child interrupting in frustration to know what they are saying--it doesn't bother me to stop and explain, but if you don't speak it you have to infer--some children are good at that. I put age 4 because I only do short shows before then, and this is full-length. I promise my standards are high, I catch things others don't and am very measured when I introduce things to my child. I wish someone told me, but there weren't enough reviews here, so I hope this helps. Also there is a weird scene where a puppet completely goes crazy over making money. At the end they strongly imply that beautiful neighborhoods stop crime and you like I may feel it's being oversimplified, so be prepared for that kind of conversation. UPDATE: I'm not sure if I've got the right version here based on what others are saying. This is done in Scotland as puppet show but the cover looked similar. Regardless I hope this is still helpful in getting a feel for the content as there's only two total reviews.
Mary F.
Mary F. Parent of 20, 24 and 24-year-old
December 2, 2019
age 10+

Exquisite tale on the impact of one person on the planet

This 30 minute animation is a beautiful rendition of the Jean Giono tale set in the Alps between the two world wars. I agree that it is probably more for the 10+ crowd, as the animation style and the story line may be lost on younger kids, but I cannot recommend it too highly. Difficult to find in DVD, but currently on YouTube in its entirety.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In The Man Who Planted Trees (narrated by Christopher Plummer) a young man on a walking journey through the Alps comes to a desolate land of sparse nature. Out of water, he meets a shepherd named Elezard Bouffiet who gives him his water. The young man stays with this shepherd for dinner, and observes how he quietly sorts acorns. He saves the good acorns, and the next day, the young man follows the shepherd as he plants acorns throughout the desolate land. The man has planted 100,000 oak trees, but expects fewer than 10,000 to actually grow in this harsh climate.

As Bouffiet continues planting trees, the young man fights in the first World War. He returns to the land Bouffiet has tended, and finds trees starting to grow. The narrator is inspired by Bouffiet's quiet humility and unwavering determination. He visits Bouffiet each year and marvels at the changes in the land Bouffiet's trees have brought to a once desolate land where only very mean villagers lived hardscrabble lives, and how decades later, this land has been transformed into a rustic paradise.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This collection of nine short animated films is a celebration of the ethereal and exquisitely impressionistic work of animator Frederic Back. It includes the Oscar-winning The Man Who Planted Trees and the Oscar-nominated The Mighty River.

The title story, based on a story by French author Jean Giono, is a masterpiece of storytelling and animation, and similar themes of man's relationship to the land in which he lives is explored in the other films. Beautifully rendered, dreamlike and allegorical, The Man Who Planted Trees is a story for the ages.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages in these films. What do you think the filmmaker is trying to express? Did any of the films inspire you?

  • What are some examples, from history or from personally observed moments in your life, of when you've seen one person create positive changes in a community? Do we have an obligation to do things for the greater good?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate