Elia Kazan

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Elia Kazan

American drama from renowned American director Elia Kazan based on the best-selling novel by Betty Smith. Katie Nolan (Dorothy McGuire) and her husband Johnny (James Dunn) struggle to get by in their Brooklyn tenement with their two young children Francie (Peggy Ann Garner) and Neeley (Ted Donaldson), as Johnny has difficulty holding down a steady job due to his fondness for alcohol. Despite his faults Johnny is good-natured with their two children, particularly 13-year-old Francie who worships him, which often creates tension between mother and daughter.

Francie shows aptitude for her school studies and when her father uses his cunning to help Francie attend one of the best schools in the area she excels in her new settings. However, the family continue to struggle from day-to-day and this has a demoralising effect on each of them.