Tistou the Green Thumb (1990) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1990 · 74 mins · Japanese

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Directed by

Yuji Tanno

Starring

Hideji Ôtaki, Kei Yamamoto, Koji Ishizaka, Kiyoshi Yamamoto, Mayumi Wakamura, Masafumi Satô

After being sent home for dozing in class, eight‑year‑old Tistou’s father decides to educate him through experience, starting in the garden with gardener Mr. Moustache. Tistou discovers a magical “green thumb,” making anything he touches blossom. He then follows the strict Mr. Turnbull, manager of his father’s armaments factory, on a town tour—prison, slums, hospital—learning about order, war, and the consequences of his power as he tries to improve the world.