Synopsis

After his mother's death in 1935, young Collin Fenwick is sent to live with his eccentric cousins Dolly and Verena Talbo in a small Southern town. When Verena's controlling nature becomes unbearable, Collin joins Dolly and their housekeeper Catherine in retreating to a treehouse. Their unconventional escape challenges the town's rigid social order and brings hidden affections, rivalries, and long-held secrets into the open.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is adapted from Truman Capote's 1951 semi-autobiographical novella. Capote also adapted the story for Broadway in 1952, and a musical version followed in 1971.

• The screenplay was written by Stirling Silliphant and Kirk Ellis. It was Silliphant's final screenplay; his earlier work included In the Heat of the Night, The Poseidon Adventure, and The Towering Inferno.

• Filming took place on location in Wetumpka, Alabama, helping the production maintain the story's small-town Southern setting.

• The film received its United States theatrical release on October 11, 1996, despite being identified as a 1995 production.

• Piper Laurie won the Southeastern Film Critics Association award for Best Supporting Actress, sharing the honor with Joan Allen for The Crucible.

• The movie had an estimated $8 million budget and earned approximately $560,000 in domestic theatrical release.