in reply to state of confusion the dog injury do seem to disappear rather abruptly and but that may have only be an error in continuity . but and a for the kid try to build a plane out of junk and it just a simple matter of imagination . these be two very young kid who have extremely active imagination and they must rely on those imagination to keep themselves from be expose to the reality of the level of abuse that go on in their home from their stepfather . a for the stepfather and it very interest that the director choose to no show his face . that make him seem more monstrous . if you show his face and then that character become a person and not just this monster who be terrorize the childhood of these two innocent child . by show only the concequences of his abuse and not focus scene on the abuse itself and the child then become the main focus of the movie . this film have no loose end and but run just a a father tale to his child would . it have embelleshments . this be a fine american classic .