Top 10 Movie Trees
In the Wilson household we have a running joke about Arbor Day. It started with me making up traditions for the most random holiday I could think of to make my wife laugh. However, now that we have a son, we’ve decided to start those traditions. So today RJ will get to open a present wrapped in leaf wrapping paper that was brought to him by Arby the Arbor Day Goblin & we will have Arby’s for dinner in his honor. And (perfectly on brand) we will be watching a movie about trees (or tree adjacent). So to commemorate this event, here’s a list of the top 10 movie trees. Weird list right?
Treebeard from ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’- When it comes to fictional trees this Ent, voiced by John Rhys-Davies, is one of my first thoughts. He plays a pivotal role in The Two Towers and is one of my favorite pieces of lore from Middle Earth. He’s also slightly comical and his dynamic with Merry & Pippen is hysterical.
Groot from the Marvel Cinematic Universe- He is Groot. OG Groot. Baby Groot. Teen Groot. Buff Groot. It doesn’t matter which one you look at, they’re all great and Groot is THE movie tree. A surprisingly wholesome and sometimes badass character who has one of my favorite movie friendships (or father/son duos?) with Rocket. I’m not sure how Vin Diesel portrays so much with so few words but props to him.
The Whomping Willow from ‘Harry Potter’- This magical addition to the grounds of Hogwarts plays a surprisingly important role in the Harry Potter saga. From being where the Ford Anglia is crashed in ‘Chamber of Secrets’, to where the climax of ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ takes place, where Severus Snape dies in ‘Deathly Hallows- Part 2’, and where Remus Lupin transforms during his school years (know your lore kiddos).
Grandmother Willow from ‘Pocahontas’- It’s no small task being a Disney princesses’s guide and mentor and this willow tree provides that for Pocahontas. Voiced by Linda Hunt, she’s incredibly wise and balances that with a sense of humor that keeps her from feeling too… wooden (please don’t click off).
Angry Apple Tree from ‘The Wizard of Oz’- Antagonistic trees are a new take. And I can respect it. Just don’t pick their apples and you won’t make an enemy I suppose. While Candy Candido provides the voice in the original film, my favorite portrayal is by Greg Heffley in ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid.’
The Tree of Souls from ‘Avatar’- The heart, life force, and connection to Pandora for the Na’vi people rests in this luminescent tree. While we’ve seen it appear in the first two films, I hope the story of this tree is expanded even more in the upcoming films.
Hangman’s Tree from ‘Peter Pan’- Everyone wanted a tree house as a kid and the Lost Boys got exactly that as their hideout. While it does get blown up by Captain Hook (boooooo) it still is an incredible cool fort that makes you never want to grow up.
The Honey Tree from ‘Winnie the Pooh’ - Oh bother, this has got to be the most aesthetically pleasing tree on this list. It looks so sticky and golden and exactly what you’d want as a yellow, pants-less bear.
The Monster from ‘A Monster Calls’- The only way to make a giant monster tree even more commanding is by giving it the voice of Liam Neeson. Though maybe not as well known as some others on this list, this film provides wonderful visual effects in its titular monster. Also, fun fact: A teenage Tom Holland provided the stand-in motion capture for the monster.
The Lorax from ‘The Lorax’- The film the Wilsons will be watching this evening. I’ll make sure to upload my review this weekend. While the Lorax himself isn’t a tree, he is the guardian of the truffula trees, and he speaks for the trees so this little mustachioed man rounds out my list.
