Publisher: CinemaSerf January 7, 2025
Though I wonder what 2020s child psychiatrists might make of this now, this is still quite a poignant scripted documentary about "Tommy". He's caught helping himself to some cash from his teacher's handbag, but instead of punishing him, the principal proposes he sees a doctor who can try to find out the causes of his behaviour. It's not like he's a tearaway or disruptive at school so with the consent and co-operation of his parents, a course of relaxed and informal "treatment" begins. Meantime, we discover that his dad has been offered a job in New York and that his mum isn't so keen on any move. One of her arguments is that the young lad would find it disruptive and so he becomes an unwitting pawn in their perfectly amicable discussions - discussions from which he is summarily excluded should he walk into the room. As we progress, we see an increasing awareness develop between the parents and their child that arrives by talking, explaining and reassuring - and that's essentially the message here. Taking the time, being patient and understanding that a child is just that. It doesn't offer answers, nor really draw any conclusions - it just presents us with a series of scenarios and invites us to consider what we might do now, or might have done when we eleven years old.