You don't expect a family or children's film to be a piercing political or sociological piece, but that still doesn't excuse "The Education of Little Tree" for being so superficial.
There are some subjects in the film (as well as the novel on which it's based) that deserve deeper exploration, such as the cultural differences between American Indians and whites, which are instead glossed over in favor of maudlin sentimentality. Also, there's more in the way of vulgar material than there should be in a film like this.
However, that doesn't mean that the film is completely without merit. If nothing else, it's great to see character actors James Cromwell ("Babe," "L.A. Confidential"), Tantoo Cardinal ("Dances With Wolves," "Legends of the Fall") and Graham Greene ("Dances With Wolves," "Maverick") on screen together. And there are times when this drama threatens to become a better movie.
Young newcomer Joseph Ashton stars as Little Tree, an 8-year-old Cherokee boy who is taken to live with his grandparents (Cromwell and Cardinal) in the backwoods of eastern Tennessee during the Great Depression. Even though times are hard, this loving family manages to scrape by with some small financial help from Granpa's moonshining endeavor.
Under Granpa's tutelage, Little Tree learns to appreciate nature, while both Granma and enigmatic medicine man Willow John (Greene) teach the boy about his heritage, as well as some shreds of book learning.
Obviously, that doesn't satisfy the requirements of the local authorities, who remove Little Tree from his home and send him to a specialized school. And in this much-more-rigid environment, he receives an altogether different sort of education, one that includes prejudice and cruelty.
Though he makes good use of the spectacular Canadian wilds (subbing for the Smoky Mountain range), writer/director Richard Friedenberg (whose screenwriting credits include "A River Runs Through It") spends too much time setting up for later situations, which are practically rushed through.
Fortunately, he's got a great cast. Ashton is charming without being too cute, while both Cromwell and Cardinal are so good that they almost manage to change the film's focus. Greene doesn't get nearly enough to do, though.
"The Education of Little Tree" is rated PG-13 for profanity, violent animal attacks, use of racial epithets, a couple of vulgar gags, brief young male nudity and brief gore.