Daddy, I Don't Like It Like This

Adell Aldrich (son of Robert Aldrich) directed this TV film I saw when it first aired. Starring Doug McKeon as a shy sensitive 10-year-old desparate for friends, Burt Young as his father and Talia Shire as his mother. We see the New York working class neighborhood where the boy is subjected to abuse from peers, parents, and teachers, the only respite is when he happens into a field and meets a dreamlike girl.

Though you can probably tell it's a TV movie, it's nevertheless a poignant look at a boy who can't cope with such a negative environment. I think the underlying purpose is to show what life is like to such kids, which is unusual in that usually similar films are told from the parent's point of view.