It's fascinating watching a film and just knowing that if it was made today, it would be done with an entirely different approach. This is the ultimate 90s Hollywood view of poverty. A sunny, highly romanticised take on the power of the individual to persevere in the face of hunger, homelessness and abandonment. Gee willikers, just pull yourself up by your bootstraps why don'tcha!
It's weird to say, because there *is* genuine tragedy in the film (I mean Jesus Christ the kid eats a magazine), but the overly sentimental style washes that all away.
