In the turbulent years of the Great Depression, an orphaned boy becomes a pawn in a bitter family feud as two aunts - snooty Anglophile Vanessa (Wendy Hughes), and working-class Lila (Robyn Nevin) - battle for his custody. Further complicating matters is the arrival of the boy's long-absent father, Logan (John Hargreaves), an alcoholic who loves his son but is incapable of caring for him. Adapted from the best-selling novel, this lush, poetic period film classic is the essential story of an Australian boy's coming-of-age in the tough Depression years.