Reclusive filmmaker Terrence Malick tries to explain the meaning of all existence in “The Tree of Life,” a sprawling, non-linear drama now available on Blu-ray and DVD (but not on Netflix or Redbox until Nov. 8).

The film enthralled some and frustrated more with its fragmented storytelling, minimalist dialogue and lengthy sequences in space and with dinosaurs. Most of the movie, however, follows a young family in the 1950s, with Brad Pitt starring as the stern father to three boys. He’s particularly hard on Jack (Hunter McCracken), the oldest son who grows up to be played by Sean Penn in a few brief but pivotal scenes set in the present day.

There’s an hour stretch of the film that takes place exclusively in the 1950s with loosely connected scenes of Jack’s upbringing and the contrasting relationships he shares with his father and mother (Jessica Chastain). While his mother is more of a nurturing free-spirit who skimps on discipline, his father is determined to teach Jack the skills to survive an unfair adulthood, a worldview he has adopted from his own professional failures.

But wait! Malick isn’t weaving a simple coming-of-age tale. The film opens with the death of one of Jack’s brothers, which takes place sometime in Jack’s early adulthood. “The Tree of Life” then jumps way back to the creation of the universe, leading into the Earth’s formation, the development of primitive life, and the emergence of dinosaurs. Then we get the 1950s and Brad Pitt, and then things get really weird. (more…)