In this sequel to Shiloh (1997) based on a novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, 12-year-old Marty Preston (Zachary Browne) is faced with the problem of how to deal with Judd Travers (Scott Wilson), the neighbor who mistreated the boy's beloved dog. Now that he is drinking more than ever, Judd is scorned by the community as a "bad apple." He is even more isolated after he is injured in a crash and confined to his ramshackle cabin.
Sandy Tung directs this fine family film about the slow and difficult process of reaching out to someone who rejects all emotional displays. Or as the Buddhist teacher and poet Thich Nhat Hanh has observed: "When you begin to see the suffering in the other person, compassion is born, and you no longer consider that person as your enemy. You can love your enemy."
Despite the fact that his parents (Michael Moriarty and Ann Dowd) want nothing to do with Judd, Marty persists in his belief that he will respond positively to kindness. Doc (Rod Steiger), a grandfather figure in the boy's life, encourages him to follow the instructions of his heart.