Charming, likeable American Civil War drama with a clutch of personable performances from the ragamuffin bunch of youngsters on the run from Union Army conscription.

Barry Brown is amusingly prim as the small town boy who joins forces with Jeff Bridges' ramshackle group of runaways, while David Huddleston's bear-like presence as outlaw Big Joe Simmons casts a menacing shadow over the autumnal landscapes (lovingly photographed by Gordon Willis).

An immensely assured work from first-time director Robert Benton (he went on to make Kramer vs Kramer and Places in the Heart), who co-wrote the screenplay with his Bonnie and Clyde partner David Newman.