The Bay Boy

The Bay Boy is a 1984 Canadian film. It is a semiautobiographical film based on director Daniel Petries experiences of growing up in Glace Bay, a mining town on Cape Breton Island, during the Great Depression. It features the screen debut of Kiefer Sutherland as the films central character, alongside Liv Ullman as his characters mother.

Meanwhile, when he is not in school, Donald spends his time helping his father Peter Donat dig a Bootleg Pit helps care for his older brother, Joe, who was the brightest boy in his grade until he got sick and was left disabled and pursues Saxon Coldwell Leah Pinsent, one of police Sergeant Coldwells two daughters. Sergeant Coldwells wife died a few months earlier.Donald lives a hardworking but fairly happy life, until the night he witnesses Sergeant Coldwell shoot and kill the Jewish couple who are his landlord and landlady. The chief of police is a relative, so Donald feels comfortable admitting he saw the killing but he says he did not see who did it, because he is afraid of Sergeant Coldwell especially after Sergeant Coldwell lets Donald know that he is aware that Donald did see who committed the murder because he could not have seen the shooting without also seeing who did it. When the Sergeant comes home and finds Donald innocently visiting with his daughter Dianna, he snaps mentally and tries to kill the boy with the result his secret is revealed and he is arrested. ........

Source: Wikipedia