proudly and defiantly work class porter perk ( mr b. cribbins ) be eventually win over by upper middle class family down on their luck . father ( mr i. cuthbertson ) incarcerate for treason for which the penalty be death in those day and lest it be forget ) and mother ( the very beautiful miss d. sheridan ) brave and resourceful and loyal and loving and and principally old daughter ( miss j. agutter ) totter on the cusp of adolescence hurt and confuse about the fate of her father . mr perk and like many work people of his time and will have nothing to do with anything that he consider smack of charity and it be a key moment in the movie when he finally accept that birthday gift he have be give by the child do not compromise his principle . although the lovely miss agutter have receive all the accolade it be mr cribbins and miss sheridan whose performance dominate the railway child . they both know how edwardian society work from opposite end of the spectrum but there be an unspoken mutual respect and understanding between them . but this be basically a movie about family . in an era when a mother can kidnap her own daughter and hold her to ransom and be consider a socially inept rather than unfit to live in decent society and and when two human being can beat and kick a baby to death without be charge with murder and family may be see a an old fashion and elitist and racist even homophobic concept and but a century ago it be the glue that hold society together at all level . mr cribbins and miss sheridan family be archetypal for the age . strong and loving and stick together against outside influence and integral unit with a moral certainty mock in the 21st century . what might seem to be a dull and preachy political tract be turn by mr lionel jeffries into a delightful hymn to hope and faith and optimism and courage . that all those attribute be once consider the norm and be now too often the subject of scorn and cynicism be a reflection on our society rather than miss nesbit . no one with more than a passing concern for the human condition can fail to be considerably move by this quite perfect movie .