A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Based on the real life experiences of Betty Smith in Brooklyn in the early 1900's, the book A Tree Grows In Brooklyn was criticized for its realistic portrayal of the tough obstacles faced by the fictional Nolan family when it was first published. The movie still resonates as an expression of the grit needed to overcome some of the stuff thrown at single mothers. When the story opens Katie Nolan isn't a single mother yet, but she might as well be. Tied to a husband who drinks too much and can't hold down a job, she makes tough decisions to survive, like cleaning the apartment building she's in to get a rent reduction. When her husband dies, survive she does - and eventually thrives, as do her children. It's a wonderful movie about strength in the face of sadness.

Directed by Elia Kazan; Twentieth Century-Fox; 1945