My Sweet Orange Tree (film)

My Sweet Orange Tree (Portuguese: Meu Pé de Laranja Lima) is a 2012 Brazilian drama film directed by Marcos Bernstein, based on the 1968 novel of the same name by José Mauro de Vasconcelos, marking the second feature-length adaptation of the novel.[4] Starring João Guilherme Ávila and José de Abreu, the film follows the story of Zezé, a very imaginative but misunderstood boy.

This article is about the 2012 film. For the 1970 film, see Meu Pé de Laranja Lima (film).
My Sweet Orange Tree
Theatrical release poster
PortugueseMeu Pé de Laranja Lima
Directed byMarcos Bernstein
Screenplay by
  • Marcos Bernstein
  • Melanie Dimantas
Based onMeu Pé de Laranja Lima
by José Mauro de Vasconcelos
Produced byKatia Machado
Starring
CinematographyGustavo Hadba
Edited byMarcelo Moraes
Music byArmand Amar
Production
company
Passaro Films
Distributed byImovision
Release dates
  • 29 September 2012 (2012-09-29) (Festival do Rio)
  • 19 April 2013 (2013-04-19) (Brazil)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryBrazil
LanguagePortuguese
BudgetR$ 3–3.5 million[1][2]
Box officeR$ 659,786[3]

The idea of adapting the novel started in 2004, when at the request of the film's producer, Katia Machado, Marcos Bernstein and Melanie Dimantas wrote a screenplay. Later, Bernstein offered to direct the film, which was for a while a French-Brazilian production until it finished as an exclusively Brazilian film.

After filming between 2010 and 2011 in Minas Gerais, My Sweet Orange Tree premiered at the Festival do Rio on 29 September 2012. The film was released theatrically in Brazil on 19 April 2013 and received mixed reviews from critics, who highlighted Ávila's performance and Gustavo Hadba's photography.

Plot

My Sweet Orange Tree begins with José Mauro de Vasconcelos (Caco Ciocler) receiving an edition of his finished novel. Then, the film starts to tell the story from the writer's memories, through flashbacks.[5] Eight-year-old Zezé lives in Minas Gerais in a very humble house with his family, consisting of his father, an unemployed and alcoholic, and his mother, which works to support the home and his brother and sisters. Despite the lack of understanding, affection and the aggression suffered by from his father and school colleagues, the boy has a great skill for storytelling using his imagination.

With financial difficulties, the family has to move. At the new home, Zezé finds an orange tree, which he talks every day. However, for being extremely extrovert he got involved in several confusions. One of them, he tries to ride on the bumper of Manoel "Portuga" Valadares, but is caught and spanked. The boy feels humiliated and wants revenge, however Valadares ends up understanding Zezé, which turns to share his world of fantasies, and a new friendship arises.[6]

Cast
  • João Guilherme Ávila as Zezé
  • José de Abreu as Portuga
  • Caco Ciocler as José Mauro de Vasconcelos
  • Eduardo Dascar as Paulo, Zezé's father
  • Fernanda Vianna as Selma, Zezé's mother
  • Pedro Vale as Totoca
  • Leônidas José as Luís
  • Julia de Victa as Glória
  • Kathia Calil as Jandira
  • Eduardo Moreira as Ladislau
  • Tino Gomes as Ariovaldo

References
  1. Ortiz, Fabíola (30 September 2012). "Longa adaptado da obra "Meu Pé de Laranja Lima" comove público no Festival do Rio". UOL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  2. Fonseca, Rodrigo (18 April 2013). "'Meu pé de laranja lima' volta às telas numa estética que trata a criança como gente grande". O Globo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  3. "Meu Pé de Laranja Lima (2012)". e-Pipoca (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  4. Lerina, Roger (18 April 2013). "Estreia nos cinemas nova adaptação de "Meu Pé de Laranja Lima"". GaúchaZH (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  5. Alpendre, Sérgio (19 April 2013). "Crítica: "Meu Pé de Laranja Lima" não brilha como sua inspiração". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 20 April 2013.
  6. "Filme "Meu pé de laranja lima" chega aos cinemas de todo o país no dia 19". Diário de Pernambuco (in Portuguese). 11 April 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013.
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