Far from the Tree - Characters & Cast

The parent's motivation is entirely driven by fear stemming from a past attack by a coyote, which left it with a prominent scar. It is desperate to prevent its child from suffering the same fate, and this fear overrides its ability to parent with warmth and understanding.

The parent raccoon begins as a strict and overbearing guardian, its actions dictated by past trauma. Its primary goal is to prevent its child from getting hurt, but in doing so, it stifles the child's spirit and creates emotional distance. After its child grows up and has its own offspring, the parent is implied to have passed away. Its arc is primarily understood through the legacy of its parenting style, which its child must confront and evolve from.

As a child, its motivation is pure curiosity and the desire to explore the exciting new world of the beach. As an adult, its motivation shifts to protecting its own child, but this is complicated by the memory of its own upbringing. Its ultimate motivation becomes the desire to be a better, more balanced parent than its own was.

The film follows this character from childhood into adulthood. As a child, it is curious, adventurous, and often frustrated by its parent's restrictions. After a dangerous encounter with a coyote, it learns the basis for its parent's fear. As a new parent itself, it initially mimics the same harsh behaviors. However, its arc culminates in a moment of self-realization where it recognizes the negative pattern and consciously chooses to parent with more empathy and openness, thus breaking the cycle of inherited trauma.