"Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is a film of vast ambition and deep humility, attempting no less than to encompass all of existence and view it through the prism of a few infinitesimal lives. The only other film I've seen with this boldness of vision is Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it lacked Malick's fierce evocation of human feeling. … I don't know when a film has connected more immediately with my own personal experience. In uncanny ways, the central events of The Tree of Life reflect a time and place I lived in, and the boys in it are me. If I set out to make an autobiographical film, and if I had Malick's gift, it would look so much like this. … There is a father who maintains discipline and a mother who exudes forgiveness, and long summer days of play and idleness and urgent unsaid questions about the meaning of things. … The film's portrait of everyday life, inspired by Malick's memories of his hometown of Waco, Texas, is bounded by two immensities, one of space and time, and the other of spirituality. The Tree of Life has awe-inspiring visuals suggesting the birth and expansion of the universe, the appearance of life on a microscopic level and the evolution of species. This process leads to the present moment, and to all of us. We were created in the Big Bang and over untold millions of years, molecules formed themselves into, well, you and me. And what comes after? In whispered words near the beginning, "nature" and "grace" are heard. … The film's coda provides a vision of an afterlife, a desolate landscape on which quiet people solemnly recognize and greet one another, and all is understood in the fullness of time."

"Dustin Allen - George Walsh"

"Tamara Jolaine - Mrs. Stone"

"Crystal Mantecón - Elisa"

"Fiona Shaw - Grandmother"

"Jackson Hurst - Uncle Roy"

"Kimberly Whalen - Mrs. Brown"

"Kari Matchett - Jack's ex"

"Tye Sheridan - Steve"

"Laramie Eppler - R.L. O'Brien"

"Jessica Chastain - Mrs. O'Brien"

"Hunter McCracken - young Jack"

"Sean Penn - Jack O'Brien"

"Brad Pitt - Mr. O'Brien"

"If you're looking for something to happen, that was it. That was life. You lived it."

"Okay, go on now. We're all right. We're all right."

"My hope. My God. What did you gain?"

"Joanna Going - Jack's wife"

"The nuns taught us there are two ways through life … the way of Nature… and the way of Grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy... when all the world is shining around it... when love is smiling through all things. They taught us that no one who loves the way of grace... ever comes to a bad end. I will be true to you. Whatever comes."

"How did you come to me, in what shape, what disguise?"

"Brother. Mother. It was they who led me to your door."

"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation ... while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

"Matthew Gray Gubler - Paul"

"The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch."

"This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Tom Hansen of Margate, New Jersey, grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy until the day he met the one. This belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total mis-reading of the movie The Graduate. The girl, Summer Finn of Shinnecock, Michigan, did not share this belief. Since the disintegration of her parents' marriage she'd only loved two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and feel nothing. Tom meets Summer on January 8th. He knows almost immediately she is who he has been searching for. This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story."

"For Tom Hansen, this was the night where everything changed. That wall Summer so often hid behind - the wall of distance, of space, of "casual" - that wall was slowly coming down. For here was Tom, in her world... a place few had been invited to see with their own eyes. And here was Summer, wanting him there. Him, no one else."

"Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life. May 23rd was a Wednesday."

"If Tom had learned anything, it was that you can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple Earthly event. Coincidence, that's all anything ever is. Nothing more, than coincidence. Tom had finally learned there are no miracles, there is no such thing as fate, nothing is meant to be. He knew, he was sure of it now. Tom was... he was pretty sure."

"People don't realize this, but loneliness is underrated."

"Darling. I don't know how to tell you this, but there's a Chinese family in our bathroom."

"Why make something disposable like a building when you can make something that lasts forever, like a greeting card."

"You never wanted to be anybody's girlfriend, and now you're someone's wife?"

"Either she's an evil, emotionless, miserable human being, or... she's a robot."

"I need to know that you're not gonna wake up tomorrow morning and feel differently."

"Roses are reds Violets are Blue, Fuck You Whore!"

"Well this is, and Rhoda, no disrespect, but um, this is total shit. "Go for it?" "You can do it?" That's not inspirational, that's suicidal! If Pickles goes for it right there that's a dead cat. Lies, we're liars think about it, why do people buy these things? It's not because they wanna say how they feel. People buy cards 'cause they can't say how they feel or they're afraid to. We provide the service that lets them off the hook. You know what? I say to hell with it. Let's level with America. At least let them speak for themselves, right? I mean look, look. What is this, what does this say? "Congratulations on your new baby." How 'bout "Congratulations on your new baby, guess that's it for hanging out, nice knowing ya." How 'bout this one? With all the pretty hearts on the front, I think I know where this one's going. Yup. "Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart, I love you." Isn't that sweet? Ain't love grand? This is exactly what I'm talking about. What does that even mean, love? Do you know? Do you? Anybody? If somebody gave me this card Mr. Vance, I'd eat it. It's these cards, and the movies and the pop songs, they're to blame for all the lies and the heartache, everything. We're responsible. I'M responsible. I think we do a bad thing here. People should be able to say how they feel, how they really feel, not ya know, some words that some stranger put in their mouth. Words like love, that don't mean anything. Sorry, I'm sorry, I um, I quit. There's enough bullshit in the world without my help."

"I just kept thinking..."Tom was right". It just wasn't me you were right about."

"There's no such thing as love. It's a fantasy."

"Colour my life with the chaos of trouble. -quoted from Belle & Sebastian in Summer's high school yearbook."

"Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't."

"This is not a love story. This is a story about love."

"It was almost like falling in love."

"Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Tom Hansen"

"Zooey Deschanel - Summer Finn"

"Geoffrey Arend - McKenzie"

"Chloë Grace Moretz - Rachel Hansen"

"Clark Gregg - Vance"

"Patricia Belcher - Millie"

"Rachel Boston - Alison"