All that I understood was that a rural Southern family was planning a wedding and the plot was an account of the preparation for the event and the actions of those taking part in it. Of course, it involved a great deal more but as noted I was too young to comprehend the gist of the story! One thing I did notice was that throughout all the "goings on," a young boy who seemed to be somewhat irrelevant to the plot was constantly complaining, "my head hurts." Of course, this was presented in the story as meaningless especially given the response to his complaints by the others. I don't even remember if any offered a kind word to him in his apparent discomfort. Most just assumed that he, as do many children, was seeking attention and at a very awkward and inconvenient time.

As for myself and, I assume, the audience as a whole, the matter seemed little more than a plot device on the periphery of the central theme designed to produce a sort of annoying distraction. Imagine my astonishment when, at almost the end of the movie I discovered that the boy had died of a brain tumor and it was this malignant condition that had created his suffering rather than a desire for attention! I certainly didn't expect that!! And indeed, I still remember my astonishment and even shame for my own failure to have any empathy for the sufferer, film or no film. I had made a judgment based upon the most superficial of evidence while the characters, deep in their meaningless plans had by their failure to respond, allowed a distraction to become a tragedy!

I don't remember much else about the film, but the sudden death of even a minor character whose only seeming function in the plot was to complain, made a deep impression on me, child that I was! My response at the time was normal – at least for a child – in that I wondered had the boy's complaint been taken more seriously if something could have been done to prevent such an awful result! Of course, in reality, probably not, especially in those days! But even so, I reasoned that at least he would not have been ignored and alone in the few remaining weeks of his short life. It was for me, child that I was, a tragedy of considerable proportions! Yet even so, the wedding and those directly involved remained the central theme of the drama, with death taking a relatively inconsequential role in the story. But, again, reasoning as a child, I couldn't imagine how death could be "inconsequential."