ingredients : little orphan boy , rural grandparents , mountains , native american lore 
synopsis : in this loving film portrayal of an idyllic and pivotal time that a young boy spends with grandpa and grandma , the self recollections of an unseen narrator focus on his world view as a tennessee orphan boy learning of his heritage through his grandparents . 
the setting is after the first world war , during the great depression years . 
a nine-year-old orphan named little tree ( joseph ashton ) is taken in and taught the wondrous ways of the woods by his caucasian moonshiner grandpa ( james cromwell ) and his native american grandma ( tantoo cardinal ) in the wilderness of the mountains of tennessee . 
here little tree learns an almost magical appreciation for nature and farm life - - and experiences beautiful and wondrous things such as the sunrise . 
everything is miraculous to a child . 
but it all comes crashing down for the boy when the u . s . government forcibly takes custody away from grandpa and grandma , and forces little tree to attend the notched gap boarding school , a kind of internment camp where multiracial cherokee kids are indoctrinated to dress , pray , speak , and think like white people or face solitary confinement and corporeal punishment . 
through his childhood experiences , little tree learns lessons about love , race , life , death , people , nature , and folk wisdom . 
opinion : this excellent , excellent family movie . 
it is one of those priceless screen gems that nobody knows about because it's not highly advertised . 
you won't find any formula schlock , cutesy characters , canned spirituality , sequel teasers or commercial tie ins , but you will find the education of little tree to be a refreshing , impeccably acted , original , wonderful , and touching film . 
take the whole family and bring a box of tissues for the tearjerkers . 
this one's as good as old yeller .