I saw this film when it premiered on the Disney Channel in 1989. It is definitely a sleeper, as none of he actors are superstars. I could not believe the depth of character each actor brought to this film. I never had any brothers, so this film showed me and my daughter, who is an only child, the gifts siblings can give to each other. I would love to read the novel to compare; Kevin Sullivan was an instrument in this adaptation to screen, nuff said. This is a four star film and should be part of every school and home film library. I had a heck of a time finding a DVD format, but it is one of my top ten treasured films! Any person from any age group,any faith, ethnic background or family background, would love this film over and over again.