The Tree of Life is a 2011 American fantasy drama film with experimental elements written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain. The film chronicles the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man's childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, against the narrative backdrop of the origins of the universe and the inception and end of life on Earth. After several years in development and missing 2009 and 2010 release dates, the film premièred in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or. Read more