Some years ago, I caught a single scene from an old movie on commercial broadcast television in New York City.
It was broadcast in English, and I believe that that’s probably the original language, and that it’s probably an American film.
Scene: A boy is leaving home…empty-handed and completely naked. He’s stopped outside by one (or more?) of the other kids. Moments later, the (foster?) mother(?) arrives and talks to him as the other(s), gathered around, look on. In the dialog, he explains why he’s walking away naked and empty-handed. I wish I could phrase it as well as it was in the film, but the gist is that he was taking everything that belonged to him.
The actor — at least in the cut I saw — was shown only from the waist up (and maybe also below the thighs), so I’ve always assumed that, unlike the character, the actor was wearing shorts. (Of course, that is just an assumption.)
Thanks!
Here are some additional details which I’m really not sure about:
* I recall a look-and-feel like it was shot on a sound stage.
* I seem to remember it supposing to be cold(ish) outside, which would make the demonstration of character in choosing nakedness over “stealing” clothes that much more significant. There may even have been (fake) snow on the ground (or mention of snow or falling temperatures in the dialog?).
* I think it was a rural setting, quite a walk just to the next house, let alone to wherever he was headed.
* I feel like the boy was probably one of the main characters of the film (if not, the main character). I get the impression that the film was “his story”, although, even if I’m right about that, I don’t know if it’s mainly about him as an adult, that this is a little background in the beginning or flashback, or if the majority of the film takes place in his boyhood.
* I feel like he said some some line with a meaning similar to ‘You said if I didn’t like it/wasn’t happy/etc., I could/was free/welcome/etc. to leave.’