Film insiders are saying that Sean Penn’s criticism of director Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life” is sour grapes over his role in the mystical movie being chopped. France’s Le Figaro quoted the star as saying, “I didn’t at all find on the screen the emotion of the script, which is the most magnificent one that I’ve ever read … Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing there and what I was supposed to add … Terry himself never managed to explain it to me clearly.” But sources tell us Penn’s role was much larger in the script than what ended up on-screen. And critics noted that Penn’s part, which bookends the picture, is the smallest of the core actors’, including Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. Last winter, blogs buzzed that Penn would be an Oscar shoo-in as Best Actor. Now he’s left out of that conversation. Penn worked with Malick before in “The Thin Red Line.” “You know what you’re signing up for,” said a source. Adrien Brody’s role in “Red Line” was reduced to two lines, and Martin Sheen, Gary Oldman, Bill Pullman, Jason
Patric, Lukas Haas, Viggo Mortensen and Mickey Rourke were cut out entirely. Malick’s rep declined to comment. Penn’s rep didn’t get back to us.