FAQ

Texan Christian singer and evangelist Beth Boothby (Brittania Nicol) and her fiance Steve Thomson (Henry Garrett) are invited by Sir Lachlan Morrison (Graham McTavish) and his wife Delia (Jacqueline Leonard) to evangelize door-to-door in the small Scotland village of Tressock. Warmly received by the residents of Tressock, Beth and Steve agree to take part in the local celebration of May Day, Steve as the "Laddie" and Beth as the "Queen", not realizing the consequences of their decision and what awaits them.

The Wicker Tree is based on the 2006 novel Cowboys for Christ, written by Robin Hardy, who also directed this movie. Interestingly, Cowboys for Christ was based on Hardy's original screenplay for a film that he intended to call The Riding of the Laddie, but the film was never made. Consequently, Hardy adapted that screenplay for the novel, which he then adapted for The Wicker Tree. The Wicker Tree, along with Hardy's first movie The Wicker Man (1973) (1973), form the first two movies of The Wicker Man trilogy. It is rumored that Hardy has titled the third film The Wrath of the Gods, but there is no information available about its production.

No. The Wicker Tree can stand alone as a story unto itself. Being the second movie in a trilogy, however, viewers might want to first watch The Wicker Man in order to maintain the continuity.

No specific reference is made to time passage. A flashback to a young Lachlan discussing fate with an elderly Christopher Lee (presumably Lord Summerisle, although he is never addressed as such) suggests that many years have passed between the two stories. Moviewise, The Wicker Man was made in 1973 and The Wicker Tree in 2010, a span of 37 years.

Just over one hour into the film, Lee is shown in a one minute cameo, conversing with young Lachlan about the hunting of the Laddie and his belief in fate.

They are chastity rings, signifying that the wearer will not engage in sex prior to marriage. Popular among Christian-affiliated groups.

It's explained, almost in passing about 39 minutes into the movie, that there was an "accident" at Sir Lachlan's Nuada Power Plant that contaminated the water and left the villagers sterile. Not wanting the infertility to be blamed upon his power plant, Lachlan makes the villagers believe that their sterility is due to the gods and that human sacrifice will appease them.

When Beth finds out from Lolly (Honeysuckle Weeks) that Steve is dead, she refuses Lolly's help to escape and runs off, exclaiming, "This is one Queen of the May that they'll never forget!" Beth makes her way up a hill to find scantily-clad villagers singing and dancing around two large wicker statues, one a male and the other a female. Lachlan confirms that Steve is dead and explains that his sacrifice will reward Tressock with renewed life. As Lachlan is calling the villagers to worship, Beth pushes him into the wicker pile and sets him on fire, while bidding the villagers to sing to their queen and her Laddie. She then runs back into the forest where she meets up with young Angus McClintock (Alistair Maxwell), who offers to escort her to a nearby village so that she can get help. After following Angus for a little while, Beth enters a clearing. Suddenly, she is surrounded with Tressock villagers who capture her. In the final scene, Lolly gives birth to a baby, "a little cowboy". Beth is shown lifelessly seated in a chair in the room of May Queens.

Apparently so. Nicol is listed as vocalist in the credits.