Things That Hang from Trees

2006 American film

March 11, 2006 (2006-03-11)

Running time

98 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Things That Hang from Trees is a 2006 drama film directed by Ido Mizrahy and written by Aaron Louis Tordini. It is based on the novella of the same name by Tordini (under the pen name T. A. Louis; ISBN 0-9721072-1-5).

Plot

Florida, 1969. 8-year-old Tommy Wheeler is incorrectly seen as mentally-impaired by many of the local townspeople. Tommy lives alone with his mother, Connie Mae, a sex shop owner. This emotionally troubled child also struggles with painful memories of his abusive, estranged father, Tom, whose mistreatment he recreates in a self-flagellating manner by systematically subjecting himself to the sadism of the 12-year-old local bully, Bear Hadley. While the town barber, George Burgess, a psychotically religious zealot, obsesses over Connie Mae, Tommy fantasizes about watching the town fireworks from atop the local lighthouse. The boy finally realizes this dream, but when he descends, he happens upon a shocking discovery that changes his world forever by bringing a permanent end to his childhood innocence.^{[clarification needed]}