The Mango Tree

THE MANGO TREE is a charming, pedestrian stroll through one young man's formative teens in rural sub tropical Queensland Australia set around WW2. Today it would not even be made or maybe for TV as a mini series. As a film in panavision it is exceptionally beautiful to see but requires a gentle heart and a patient mature outlook. Lead actor Christopher Pate is the son of actor Michael Pate who also produced the film. Unfortunately for Christopher, he did not have his father's good looks and instead of someone lasting as an actor and as a role player here, we have him. If a better and more dynamic young actor was in this then I think the film would be more memorable. Instead today it is almost forgotten and was never revived much past 1980. I fits as part of the many 'new Australian films' of the post 1975 renaissance. It played in cinemas as part of a popular double feature with either MY BRILLIANT CAREER or the extraordinary epic THE IRISHMAN also made around the same time. Robert Helpmann's hilarious turn as the town drunk is a standout performance. Helpmann's sister Sheila is seen in THE GETTING OF WISDOM made a year later. THE MANGO TREE was pretty good but may not stand up so well today.