The Wishing Tree (2020) Movie Script

Julia.

Look what you did.

Look what you did again.

Why can't you do anything right?

You are pathetic Julia.

I'm sorry mom.

I won't be.

I promise.

I'm a good daughter.

Hey.

Where's my mom?

Luke?

Do you see my mouse?

Kick him out.

Luke?

What is it?

I need you to go to the

drug store to get me pills.

I can't, I'm late for work.

Are you fucking kidding me?

About time, you're over

an hour late.

At least I fucking showed up.

Oh, and nice shoes.

What are you wearing, man?

Dude, we're hiking.

Oh, is that what we're doing?

Huh. You know what, I did,

I got that memo.

It was right after I

said my vows,

and my best man and ring

bearer was MIA at my wedding.

Is that why you're

not wearing it?

I'm glad you're here, buddy.

I appreciate it.

Anyways so

What happened to your

Fiji honeymoon anyway?

The restaurant needed me,

and Celine had to work

Fashion Week in Paris,

so it's fine.

Let's do it, let's do nature.

Might want to cover

those ankles.

The bugs are gonna love

that white pasty skin.

Ha ha ha ha ha.

I hope she

has your eyes.

I do.

I hate my eyes.

What are you talking about?

You have beautiful eyes,

intense.

I hope she has your smile.

Yeah, that one.

I'm scared.

Yeah, I know, me too.

Thanks.

Thank you.

No, I mean I'm really scared.

Maybe the women in my family

are all missing some sort of

maternal gene or something.

Babe, you're nothing

like your mother.

I can be so mean.

Come on, you of all

people should know that.

You're not mean.

You're a fighter.

Now look.

So just

out of curiosity

when was the last time

you were up here?

I came up here once.

When?

Remember the yoga instructor?

Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no.

That does not count.

The Busac story, right?

Where you got wasted and

you passed out,

and hippie chick couldn't

even wake you up.

They had to call on the

park rangers?

Look, despite my shit, and

your shoe fail,

I think we can handle blue.

I prefer green.

Can we do easy?

Beautiful out

here, isn't it?

It's definitely very green.

Really?

That's just leftovers.

I stashed it everywhere.

Look,

I just need to know it's around,

okay?

I need to know it's there.

Why?

So I don't panic.

Look dude, I just got

out of rehab.

Cal, you missed my wedding

because of this shit.

I know.

It's around.

Thanks.

Now, help me with my

fucking bag.

Old man.

Psychedelic Furs.

'77 man.

No way.

Yeah, way off, can you

believe that was in '77?

It's like you're getting worse,

just slowly getting

worse with this.

You get to go to work.

Meanwhile, I've given up

my whole life,

my fucking career, to

have this goddamn kid.

Don't call her that, please.

I get to, you don't.

You don't have the right.

Where are you going?

Away.

Yeah, I can see that, where?

I have to do something, alone.

You know, you don't have to

do everything alone, right?

Apparently I do.

Julia?

- Julia?

- What?

What?

I can't do this anymore.

You know what?

Neither can I.

I can't be who you

need me to be.

Not anymore.

If you would just stop

shutting me out,

I could get to where you are.

You can't.

Are you

kidding me?

Hey look, you want to

head back, then move it.

Okay, well all I'm

saying is the way,

it's probably the way

that we came in.

It's an easy marked trail,

you said it.

Yeah, well I'm not so

much in the dark.

Hey.

Hello.

Hi.

Wait a minute.

Julia Jordan?

Yeah.

Caleb, Caleb Gray.

- Right.

- You gotta be kidding.

Really, you guys, you

know each other?

Yeah, yeah.

Wow.

Small world.

I heard you moved to the

city right after graduation.

I did, you?

Probably on the next bus.

This is, do you come

out here often?

In my mind all the time.

You?

Not often enough.

Never, he never, he

never comes out of here.

So what's the

problem guys?

We're lost.

We're lost. And look at her.

My God, you look like

you know what you're doing.

If you could point us to the

parking lot so we can leave.

What do you mean, the

parking lot? Why?

- What do you mean?

- Yeah.

No flashlight, borrowed tent.

Dude, there is no fucking way

that I am staying

overnight tonight.

Sorry, you don't have

a flashlight?

Well.

There's six minutes

of light left.

No way you make it

back in the dark.

Where's your tent?

Oh, everything's in there.

Yeah, well I wasn't planning.

Okay, follow me.

I don't want to fucking stay.

Do you have a can opener?

Swiss army knife?

Nothing, great.

What about you girl scout?

What do you got?

'Cause I got these, guys,

Spanish mussels, imported

from Northern Spain.

I have been dying to try

these suckers.

Outside pocket.

Yes.

Oh, victory!

Anyway, what have you been

up to all these years?

For the past 20 years?

Nothing much.

Really?

Thought you would have been

married with three kids by now.

Nope.

So what are you doing

out here in the forest

all by yourself?

You really want to know?

Sure, I do.

I'm going to find something

called the wishing tree.

The wishing tree?

Where the fuck is a

wishing tree?

It's a special place I used

to go as a kid all the time.

Make a wish, always made

me feel better.

Anyway.

You know, when I was,

when I was a kid,

I used to imagine what it'd

be like to be 20, and 30.

I had so many dreams.

I think as kids, we

know everything.

No no no.

If someone had told

me back then,

life was never gonna

happen the way I expected,

would I have done

things differently?

Like maybe try to

not get cancer.

Doesn't matter what you

do or don't do.

Sometimes things just

happen to you.

Oh, I got one.

U2.

You know, you would

think, you would think that.

It's gotta be '76 man.

Now way.

You guys I'm gonna head out.

Directions, directions.

You guys can follow me to

the next cutoff.

There's a green trail there.

It'll lead you home if that's

what you're looking for.

- Okay.

Thanks.

You gonna fuckin' help

me, or just stand there.

Rude.

I'm hungry, man, hey.

Turn around.

No, no way.

If we have to camp again,

which I don't want to do,

then we're gonna need

this for dinner.

Live off the land, nature boy.

Live off the land? What

are you talking about?

Ah, ha ha.

Service berries, put that

in your stomach.

- Really?

- Do it.

You sure?

Dude, what do I do for a living?

Markup wine.

Ha, food.

I know food.

Wait wait wait, what

are you doing?

Are you nuts?

What do you mean?

Those are Bain berries,

and they're highly toxic.

I know food.

I run two successful restaurants

in the city, all right.

I employ a full-time forager.

Right, well maybe your

forager knows her stuff.

Wildgifts practically

invented forest-to-table.

All right, that was my idea.

Wait a second.

Are you that Ryan?

I know you, I've eaten there.

Didn't you just marry

some rich model.

Here we go.

Even out here people

know who I am.

It's crazy.

Dude, she's from the city,

relax.

Whatever. And yes, Celine.

She's gorgeous.

So what are you doing out

here with him?

We had to postpone

our honeymoon.

Why?

Well, you still don't

know shit about foraging.

No, you don't.

I know food.

don't think

that we're up

in this level of difficulty,

Caleb.

I think that

you've proven

that you're as inept

as me buddy.

The Cure.

Yeah 1981, but they

suck so hard,

that it doesn't even count.

Like they were awful.

The don't suck,

what are you talking about?

They suck.

Worst band of the 80's.

Hey guys, what's with all

the 80's bands?

Not 80's bands.

This dingus thinks there are

good bands from the 80's,

which isn't true.

All good bands from the

80's actually,

they formed in the 70's,

that's a fact.

It's a fact.

Chatty Kathy.

Okay guys, here we are.

Okay well, I guess this is it.

Are you sure you don't

want us to go with you?

An extremely generous offer,

but I'm good.

Do you even know when

you're going?

She said she's good, let's go.

I don't know man, like

alone in the woods?

She's fine.

Tough as nails, look

at this one.

Look, I grew up on these

trails okay, I'm good.

Echo and the Bunnymen.

'79.

God, I loved that band.

Don't eat the berries,

you'll get diarrhea.

We're heading home.

See ya.

A bottle of wine, warm bed.

You want to split a pizza?

No, I don't want to

split a pizza.

Listen to your mother, Julia.

As noble a task as it is,

nobility is not everyone's

first priority.

What does that even mean, mom?

Huh?

I'm not trying to be noble,

I'm just trying to have a kid.

A family.

Well, yeah, that's what

I thought I wanted, too.

Change your past by

creating a new future,

and you see it doesn't

always work out that way.

You have no idea what you're

getting yourself into.

God, why would you

say that to me?

Why would you infect me

with this doubt?

No, I'm just saying

that based on all of

your past miscarriages,

and all of those attempts,

maybe, just maybe it is

not meant to be for you.

Look it may not be

clear to you now,

but when you have this baby, no,

if you have this baby,

it won't be.

Oh my God.

It's clear, mom.

Motherhood was

never your forte, but

I am different.

No, you're not.

I like her.

No, I'm serious, man.

I don't have a lot of good

memories from high school.

I remember this, this one time,

she came with me and a bunch

of friends to see New Order.

Fuck man, we had a good time.

We danced and laughed.

We kissed.

I never forgot that kiss.

Of course. Well.

Well, first of all nobody

has good memories of high

school sucked.

And I don't want to be

rude here, but dude

you haven't had a real

relationship since like '92.

Wow.

What?

You just, you don't get it.

Dude, you just can't live

in the moment, can you?

Fuck, not everything has

to be planned.

For the first time in my

life I'm trying to listen,

to see and hear myself and

it's pretty fucking hard,

because all I really want to do,

is get into that bag

and down all my whiskey.

What do you want to do?

Follow her through the

woods uninvited?

Yeah man, women love that.

You see what you're doing,

right?

- You see it?

- What?

You're trading one escape

for another escape.

It's not gonna help

you with whatever it is

that you're trying to find.

Fuck, is it,

is it about to storm?

Looks that way.

What the fuck do we do?

Fine, let's find her.

But I'm doing the talking

this time, okay?

You listening to me?

I'm doing the talking.

Can you hear me?

Can we see a heart rate?

We're gonna do all we can.

Sir, we're gonna need

you to stay out here.

Julia, I need.

I'm so sorry, we

lost the baby.

Placenta previa is rare.

Because she went into labor

at seven months' gestation.

she was just too small.

Sweetie, I wish

I could stay, I really do.

But you know Dan booked

these flights ages ago.

Which one's Dan again?

Don't be foolish, Julia.

Dan's been around for months.

Right.

Get it together, Julia.

You're fine, you're alive.

Is that what this looks

like to you, mom?

Is it?

Did you even know what

just happened?

Just keep moving sweetheart,

just one day at a time.

Look by the time I get back,

this'll all be behind you.

Oh my God mom, I am broken.

Do you understand that?

I'm empty.

But you know what, you

just go do you.

Okay?

And your new boyfriend.

That is just cruel Julia,

and it is exactly why I

can't be here.

♪ Baa baa black sheep ♪

♪ Have you any wool ♪

♪ Yes sir yes sir ♪

♪ Three bags full ♪

Maybe you should do the talking.

♪ One for my master ♪

♪ One for my dame ♪

♪ One for the little boy

who lives down the lane ♪

I don't know what I'm doing.

What are you

talking about?

The wishing tree.

Not here.

Right, your wishing tree.

It's real.

If it's real I'm gonna wish

for a fucking helicopter to

get the hell out of these woods.

Yeah, because that's

how it works.

Hey, don't tell me how

to make a wish.

It has to mean something to you.

You pray to it.

You make a wish.

No, you write

your wish down,

and then you burn it.

But you have to write it as

if it's already come true.

Remember that urban

legend about the witch?

You remember that?

Yeah.

It's true.

I used to come out here

all the time as a kid.

My Nana's farm backed

up onto these trails.

Shit happens, lightning strikes,

trees die, it's probably gone.

Do you have any idea

what it feels like

to be totally lost?

Yeah,

yeah I do actually.

It kind of feels like,

like you're wandering

around inside your head.

It's dark and you don't

know where you're going.

It feels like that.

Maybe, maybe this is just

the wrong spot.

I guess, but

What are you guys doing here?

Tell her.

The tree.

We're gonna find it.

It's good enough for me.

Let's look.

Ryan needs a ride out

of these woods.

Come on.

Shit.

Can I take this off?

Okay, stay still for a second.

I'm gonna wrap it for you.

Oh God.

When'd you do this?

When I was in the field, I fell.

Don't lift anything

with this hand, okay?

Thank you, it's fine.

You know,

maybe all you need

is a fresh set of eyes.

I really wanted

to do this on my own.

Okay, well we can

leave if you like.

But he wants to be here,

so here we are.

I'm not good with this stuff.

There's a connection

that I feel.

Maybe it's just me.

Maybe it's something else,

I don't know.

Like hope.

A chance to do things

differently.

We all have our regrets.

Well, at least you're

not addicted to those.

What's that?

It's okay.

You can tell us whenever

you're ready, if you want.

I'm gonna go take a piss.

So sick of this.

How much rejection

can a guy take?

What are you sick of?

Not being able to get off?

Oh man, no.

It'd be easier if you

just told me

you're not fucking

attracted to me anymore,

rather than whatever

the fuck this is.

What would be easier?

Our relationship, your

comfort level.

Tell me what.

What, what about my

comfort level, huh?

I am not a human anymore,

I am just a vessel.

Listen to me, look at this.

Look at this.

Does that look sexy to you?

Does it?

Yeah. No.

You know what?

It doesn't even fucking matter.

Right, just leave, the

one thing you're good at.

Give me the bottle.

No.

It's my fucking life!

My life!

What the fuck was that?

I'll tell you what that was.

That was years of miscarriages

and fucking doctors and.

Fuck!

That was a mistake.

A fucking mistake,

that's what it was.

Fuck.

What the hell?

What are

you gonna do?

Listen to me man.

I don't know what the

hell that was last night.

I mean.

Dude, you're not confused

all right, you can relax.

You're not having like

an identity crisis or anything,

trust me.

It's not one of your things.

Okay, and I know that you

were just going along with it.

I don't think that's

what I was doing, though.

I crossed the line last night.

I'm sorry.

Won't happen again.

This is the

trail I took yesterday.

And it led

to the clearing?

Yeah.

What am I doing?

Wait a minute.

Check this out guys.

What is it?

It looks like it's been

scratched off or something.

That's weird.

Yeah.

It's probably a dead end

or a swamp or something.

Fresh marker is

definitely the way to go.

No, no, no, no.

No, that'll just lead us

to where we were yesterday.

Okay, but this one's

clearly been erased,

probably for a reason.

Yeah, and that reason

might be that someone

doesn't want us to go that way.

Exactly, because it's dangerous.

Or, maybe that's

where the tree is.

Okay, so this tree is so

fucking special

somebody's hiding it?

- Maybe.

Let's go.

- Sorry.

- What the fuck?

Bullshit man.

Let the Eagle Scout

show you what he can do.

You want to cross here?

Yeah.

The water, it's

going way too fast.

It's fine, I did

it when I was 10, okay.

We're gonna go slow.

You guys following

me for a change?

Hey hold on, be careful.

Wait. Wait!

Put your

foot down!

Find the bottom!

Find the bottom.

You lost your bag.

You good?

I'm gonna get the bags,

get her hand.

It's good, you

stay out of the water.

Shit, the food, all the

food was in the bag.

Jesus.

That was a really good

plan you had there.

Yeah.

You did not cross that

river when you were 10.

Okay, back off.

You just charged right in, okay?

Okay, I'll go get the

fucking bags, not a big deal.

No way, that bag is long gone.

Okay, well you know what,

the good thing is you

still have some food left.

Yeah, we can ration it out

between the three of us.

That's a good idea, actually.

No guys, I only packed

enough for me.

What the hell is that was that

supposed to mean? We don't have food.

I literally didn't anticipate

having to babysit or feed

two grown men.

- Babysit?

- Yeah.

You're not my fucking

babysitter.

- You think you would have

made it this far without me?

Without you, I'm home yesterday.

I did not ask you to come along.

I know, I know you didn't.

Apparently I'm his

fucking babysitter.

And wherever he goes, I

have to fucking follow.

Give me a break, you

knew the deal.

The deal about you being

the best man at my wedding,

that fucking deal?

Wasn't your wedding

basically a joke anyway?

What the fuck did you just say?

Cut the besties bullshit, okay?

You're the one who's chasing.

Don't take out your dead

baby rage on me,

'cause you're fucking barren.

What the fuck did you just say?

Whoa whoa whoa, what

are you doing?

Do you hear me?

I will fucking kill you.

Get off me, you hear me?

Calm down, calm down.

Don't you tell me to calm down.

Don't you fucking tell

me to calm down, okay?

Get your fucking hands

off me, okay?

Okay, easy, just calm down.

Go yourself or each other.

I don't care.

But stay the fuck away from me.

Where are you going?

Fuck!

I don't even know what to say.

Julia?

I feel like she wishes

I woud just dissapear

I'm sorry I couldn't love you

the way you needed to be loved.

You deserve more.

It's okay, mom.

No, no it's not.

Shh.

No Julia, you let me speak.

I want you to know

that I did the best I could,

but I know it wasn't enough.

Why are you telling me

this now mom?

There's something about death

when it comes knocking

on your door.

It gives you clarity.

I do love you.

I loved you the very best

way I knew how.

I know.

I know mom.

I know.

I know mom.

No mom.

Mom don't go.

Don't go please.

Please don't go.

Julia?

Julia.

Ryan] Maybe, maybe

she went in there.

You think?

Maybe she needs some time alone.

I'm going in.

Wait.

Hey?

You okay?

I guess.

My mom just died and

I've been carrying

around her ashes,

trying to find this tree,

because I think somehow

there'll be the answer for me.

It's like no one can

handle my pain,

so I have tried,

I have tried so hard to

it lock it away.

I get it.

I do.

I never got things

right with my mom.

And now that she's gone,

it's like all of my hopes

for everything have

disappeared with her.

This pain inside of you,

it's got to come out.

Trust me.

I've been trying to have

a baby for years and,

I just lost another one.

And this time I was,

I was seven months along.

They saved me not her.

And my husband, fuck.

I mean, he may have left me,

and I can't blame him because

I'm such a fucking asshole.

I can't help it,

I can't because I am so

fucking angry.

I'm so broken.

You're not.

You're not broken.

I am.

I just,

I just, I want to feel

something else, you know.

I do.

I want to feel something

I can control.

And I don't know.

I think that's what,

I think that's what last

night was about.

I'm so embarrassed.

Don't be embarrassed.

I am.

I just feel foolish, you know,

looking for this goddamn tree

like it's gonna heal

some part of me.

Maybe it will.

Wanna go?

Yeah, I do.

I do.

All right, what's up?

Why do you always do that?

Do what?

Make yourself the fucking hero.

Excuse me?

Cal, she's going through

a lot right now.

I'm sure she would tell you

if you just try to

connect with her.

- Hey.

I was gonna ask you,

who's this lucky guy?

He's not lucky.

Trust me.

I don't believe

that for a second.

You know, we used to be

so good together,

and then life just got

complicated and dark and,

we said and did things

that I don't know

if we can come back from them.

How big is he?

Hmm?

Can I take him?

I know you could.

Okay.

Hey, why did you never tell me

how you felt in high school?

You were busy hanging

out with guys in bands,

not guys into bands.

Well, you never took your

headphones off.

Yeah, well

Didn't we go see the

Smiths in the city?

It was New Order, yeah, we did.

New Order.

What was that song you

played me to get me to go?

"Ceremony."

Right.

Did they play it?

Yeah, they did.

Was that when we kissed?

Yeah, that's when we kissed.

I still love that

song by the way.

Yeah, me too.

- Wait a minute.

- What?

The Smiths.

Of course, The Smiths.

Cool, we're gonna

have to climb it.

Please be careful.

Here we go, I got you.

It's so beautiful up here.

I can't believe you

guys grew up here.

You only came back once.

Once you run away, you

don't tend to run back, huh?

What a mistake.

Hey Ryan?

Yeah.

The Smiths.

Shit.

Yep.

That was a good band.

'82.

It was a really good band.

Let me go first.

Watch it.

Thank you.

- Good?

- Yeah.

You okay?

Guys, check this out.

What?

Come look.

- Wow.

It's just, it's like

this, it's like the shack.

Do you have a

flashlight in here?

Yeah, in my pocket.

Wow, it's like someone's

living in there.

It's way too small,

though.

There's got to be

another way in.

Let's check it out.

Right, let's find it.

Wait.

Come out here.

I know what you're looking for.

I know why.

I'll take you there.

Why couldn't I find

this on my own?

You lost your ability

to feel wonder.

You've lost yourself.

Sometimes hope is found in

the most unlikely of places.

No wait.

Let's give them some space.

It's not hot, but it'll do.

I don't know.

It's time to let go.

I know your pain,

the kind you think you'll

never recover from.

Grief takes time to resolve,

to integrate.

It will always be a part of you,

but it may not define

who you are.

Only when you

surrender to the pain,

can you heal the little girl.

Okay.

You're gonna need

more than that.

Go on.

There you go.

Lie down.

Right here.

In time, patience.

I hope this helps her,

I really do.

Yeah, me too.

Can I try some of that?

So what are you gonna do?

I don't know.

Not that, though.

How about you, what are

you gonna do?

When I get back to the city

I have to tell my wife

that I can't,

that I can't be with her,

and that I made a big

fucking mistake.

And I don't know how I'm

gonna do that.

I can't keep pretending

to be somebody I'm not.

But we can't go back.

I don't want to.

Now, now you're ready.

Numb the dark,

and you numb the light.

Do you want to

know what it says?

I'm enough.

I'm good.

I am enough.

I am enough!

I am good.

I am enough.

The Wishing Tree (2020) - full transcript