Terrence Malick Shot Tree of Life All Over Texas. Including, Turns Out, in Downtown.

Last night, in the comments of the Good Guys-are-gone item, Friend of Unfair Park "Urban Observer" observed: At the 1:39-minute mark of the just-released trailer for writer-director Terrence Malick's looooong-awaited The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, there's a fleeting glimpse of the Glory Window, otherwise known...

By Robert Wilonsky

December 16, 2010

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Last night, in the comments of the Good Guys-are-gone item, Friend of Unfair Park "Urban Observer" observed: At the 1:39-minute mark of the just-released trailer for writer-director Terrence Malick's looooong-awaited The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, there's a fleeting glimpse of the Glory Window, otherwise known as the stained-glass spiral that is the ceiling of the Chapel of Thanksgiving downtown.

Which got me to wondering: Was this the work of a second unit, done while Malick and his cast were shooting in Smithville and Houston and Waco and elsewhere 'round the director's native state, or was the filmmaker actually here? I asked Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, who reveals: "The didn't want it talked about, very hush-hush. That's why you didn't hear. Terrence Malick (of course) & Sean Pean were here. Had a pretty small crew and shot for 2 days in June of 2008." The glorious trailer follows.

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