In the author A.E. Hotchner's book " Paul and Me" ( about his lifetime friendship and business partnership with Paul Newman) he says that "King of the Hill" is his own autobiography. Newman asked him to write a screenplay from it, so they could produce the film, but Hotchner said he just couldn't do it, implying he was too close to it... the story of his parents, and himself as a child. Paul Newman replied... "A Pity". Then Hotchner goes on to mention that this film, Steven Soderbergh's version, produced by Robert Redford, was excellent, named one of the top ten films of the year, and praised the remarkable performance of 14 yr old Jesse Bradford.
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #698.