A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

An outstanding film version of Betty Smith's novel about the hardships facing an Irish family living in a turn-of-the-century Brooklyn tenement. McGuire is splendid as the mother, with an Oscar-winning performance by Dunn as her alcoholic husband. Garner won a special juvenile Oscar for her sensitive portrayal of a young girl looking to escape her environment, and Blondell gives one of her best performances as Garner's aunt.