This poignant small-town Americana tale based on James Agee's Pulitizer Prize-winning autobiographical novel has Preston as a happy-go-lucky father and Simmons as a sturdy but compassionate mother to Kearney, their son. It is through his eyes that the story is told, a simple but
heart-tugging one in which Preston dies and the family members adjust to the great hole in their lives. Kearney made his first film appearance here, and his innocence and fresh-faced personality fit his role perfectly. Hingle, as the dour, heavy-drinking mortician brother who handles the funeral,
is appropriately mean-spirited and easy to dislike. Excellent sets lend authenticity to the era...
Released:
1963
Rated:
NR
Length:
107 mins