This is possibly "Oceans Eleven" director Steven Soderbergh's finest film. Set in depression-era America, it paints a vivid picture of the period, and of the various characters in eleven year-old Aaron Kurlander's life. Aaron, wonderfully played by Jesse Bradford, finds himself living alone in a seedy St. Louis hotel due to family circumstances, and having to survive by his wits. It's the story of a young boy's perseverance in the face of almost overwhelming adversity. But yes, there's a happy ending. It's a shame this movie has never been released on DVD in the United States.