Mr. Sycamore

This is a beautiful, fanciful allegory. Jason Robards, Sandy Dennis, and Jean Simmons were the perfect casting choices. A great movie for all Strangers in a Strange Land. Even the love triangle among the leading characters avoids the formulaic approach of Hollywood.

The premise is totally preposterousness. A man who wants to and tries to become a tree! However it might help us all realize that our own authenticity should be achievable. This is exactly the approach taken by Edward Albee in his latest play, The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? The movie is apparently the only one Robert Ayre wrote. And although Pancho Kohner has produced many films, including several Charles Bronson films, he has only directed one film other than Mr. Sycamore, The Bridge in the Jungle.

This is a movie for anyone who cannot accept the judgement of the great unwashed masses. It's for anyone who yearns to express their authentic self. Anyone whose life seems to require constantly swimming upstream will love this movie.

I screened this movie for possible negative pick up when I worked as Universal's Head of Independent Film Acquisition. First, I have the utmost respect for Jason Robards as an actor. He was one of the best. Having said that he could not save this film which I found meretricious and boring. It was a noble try but for me it just didn't work. I applaud the producers for getting it made. Maybe it would if he was a giant redwood in Muir Woods. A novel like Kafka's Metamorphosis would be more viable due to the symbolism and the verisimiltude. Or, George Orwell's Animal Farm might be another book into film that is viable, But this film is too ripe with faux symbolism and sophistry as well as wooden (no pun intended) to be a movie. Bottom line, Mr.Robards gives it his best effort, but it doesn't save Mr.Sycamore. Perhaps a better title would be Mr. Dendroid.

OMG!!! I could have reviewed the previous comment MYSELF. My husband even asked was I sure that I didn't write it b'cause it is one of my favorite all time childhood movies..... watched it with my mom.... she swears she's never heard of anything like it but I remember every scene. Since I grew up with a vivid imagination. I too though was either going crazy or had made it up. I am so glad to have found out that it does exist. If anyone knows where to get it, please let me know. I also remember a scene where the very concerned wife goes to a country church alone and they were singing HOLY HOLY HOLY. By the way, my husband asked me that because I have spoken about it for the 6years we have been married.

I first saw this movie about 1975 on TV and it made a huge impact on me...so much so that I changed my name to Mr. Sycamore. In 1986 I decided to change my name legally (mainly because I didn't like my dad). My birth name was Thomas Gee, but when I finally decided to make a new name for myself I thought of how I loved this movie and so I changed my name to Tom Sycamore which I have been for the past 22 years).

I have always been a huge fan of Sandy Dennis, and the idea from this movie that one can create your own life (even if it involves becoming a tree) makes this a very special movie.

This film for the longest time made me think I was loosing my mind. I remember watching it on television long long ago as a little child with my mother. Her and I commented on the film all throughout the length of the movie at how wonderful it was.

Years and years later, I brought it up to her, "Hey mom, remember that movie we watched about the old guy who wanted to become a tree so he planted his feet in the backyard?" She had no freegin clue what I was talking about. I insisted we had seen the movie, and told her I even remember where we were sitting in the living room that night. She was clueless. So for a looong time afterwards I really truly thought I had imagined this story in my mind.

Finally, one day a friend and I were talking movies, and I joked with him about how I had created this weird story in my head about this movie about a guy who wants to be a tree, and all nonchalantly he was like, "Oh yeah, Mr. Sycamore... that was a pretty decent flick." WHHATTT?!! There really IS A MOVIE ABOUT THAT!!! And then I come to find out it was Jason Robarts who actually played the part.

I know, this wasn't even a movie review at all, and I have no idea where to find the movie now to watch it again and give it an honest vote out of 10. So I'll leave my story at that. :)