Patty Bergen, Kristy McNichol, is a thirteen-year-old girl living in the small American town of Jenkinsville, Georgia, during World War II. Her Jewish-American family owns the local clothing and general supplies store, where Patty occasionally works and helps out. Life at home is difficult: her abusive father, Harry Bergen (Harry Bergen), and her uncaring mother, Mrs. Bergen, Barbara Barrie, give her little warmth, and her younger sister Sharon, Robyn Lively, seems to receive more attention. Despite this, Patty maintains a fragile friendship with Ruth, Esther Rolle, the family’s black, middle-aged housekeeper, who becomes her confidante in a town of growing tension.
The story intensifies when the U.S. government opens a prisoner-of-war camp for captured German soldiers in Jenkinsville. One day, during a store visit, Patty meets Anton Reiker, Bruce Davison, one of the few prisoners who can speak English. Not long after, Anton escapes from the camp and tries to board a train, but Patty intercepts him. Rather than alert the authorities, she hides him in a row of abandoned rooms above the Bergens’ disused garage and brings him food. In this quiet hideaway, Anton shows Patty a warmth and respect she has rarely felt from her own family, and the two form a close, careful friendship.
Anton’s presence nearly comes to light when he sees Patty’s father beating her; he steps out to protect her, but Patty urgently tells him to retreat before he’s discovered. Ruth, who witnesses the moment, does not approve of the dangerous secret Patty is keeping, yet she agrees to help, supplying food and keeping the circle of secrecy intact. As the town grows more curious and the FBI launches a wide search for the escaped soldier, the Bergens’ home becomes a focal point of scrutiny.
When the FBI arrives at the Bergen house, Patty rushes to the garage to warn Anton that he must leave immediately or risk capture. Anton escapes, thanks Patty for her help, and returns a grandfather’s ring as a final token of gratitude. Yet that night, the FBI closes in, finds Anton, and shoots him dead as he tries to flee. The news devastates Patty, who receives the grim report from agents who come back to explain the tragedy to her.
Patty’s father, horrified by his daughter’s actions, effectively disowns her, telling her she is dead to him. The townspeople also alienate her, viewing her as a traitor in a climate of fear and suspicion. The only person who continues to speak to Patty is Ruth, who has already been fired from her job for standing by Patty. Ruth steps in to comfort her, urging the townsfolk to leave Patty alone, and reminding them that only God has the right to judge.
In the end, the film portrays a young girl caught between loyalty and fear, navigating a world where prejudice, secrecy, and the shadow of war shape loyalties, with Ruth remaining a quiet, steadfast voice amidst the community’s shifting judgments.
