The story is set in Vevay, Indiana in the 1930s and revolves around the titular character, Sooner, a girl of unknown parentage who is being raised by an elderly backwoods woman, Old Mam Hawes (Cloris Leachman), who earns a living making illegal moonshine.
Sooner had run back home to Old Mam Hawes during the night, and had dug up and taken the body of the bird with her.
Sooner continues to live with Old Mam Hawes, who tells her they may move to Florida, where it's "warm all year 'round".
Hawes sends Seevy away in a rage and tells Sooner to hook up their old horse William to the cart because they are going to take the whiskey to the fair and sell it themselves.
The child actress who would play Sooner was found through a talent search of 300 girls which took place in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
8-year-old Susan Deer of Indianapolis, Indiana was chosen and flown to Hollywood for screen testing and final approval.
[citation needed] This film was Michael Gross's first television role, as the man who buys whiskey from Mam Hawes.
She went on to play other minor, usually uncredited roles in films like 28 Days and shows like True Blood and Breaking Bad.
[2] The scene where Sooner gets a bath was filmed on a set built in a bowling alley as no local bathrooms were large enough to accommodate a camera.
Julia Inman of the Indianapolis Star called the film "a gentle, poignant and polished production with small town warmth that doesn't happen very often on television."
Bob Williams of the New York Post wrote, "It's a deeply sensitive story with abundant human values".