We used to watch this movie once a year when I was in elementary school in Indiana. At the time, I didn't really understand it that much, because I lived in the suburbs and the story of a young poor boy's struggle in the inner city didn't mean a lot to me. But, it stayed with me all these years, and as I grew older, I realized that there was really something to this movie. T.J. is a young boy trying to make it in the city, battling against poverty, hunger, and of course bullies. He finds and befriends a stray cat, and learns an important lesson when the animal dies. The movie is a haunting view of city life for a youth at the time.