King of the Hill

The movie delves into the coming-of-age story of a young boy set during the economic hardship of the Depression era in St. Louis. Based on A. E. Hotchner's memoir, the narrative chronicles the life of a resilient child who is forced to fend for himself after his mother is hospitalized with tuberculosis and his father, a German immigrant working as a traveling salesman, embarks on frequent business trips whose outcomes are uncertain. The film masterfully explores themes of survival, independence, and the human capacity to adapt in challenging circumstances against the backdrop of a tumultuous historical period.