Kes (1970) on Netflix

A working-class English boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet kestrel.

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper (David Bradley), a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher Mr. Farthing (Colin Welland) and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence, until tragedy strikes.

—alfiehitchie

From a working class Yorkshire background, mid-teen Billy Casper is expected not to have much of a future, a prospect even prognosticated by his mother. This prospect is due to a life of neglect, with his father long having abandoned the family. Although he purports to have placed his criminal behavior behind him, Billy still commits the occasional petty crime when it suits his needs. Especially when he deals with anyone of authority, his mind usually wanders, which may be problematic again for his future in speaking to the employment officer about his post-schooling work life. He is bullied by a number of people from his older coal miner brother Jud, to some of his classmates, and even his teachers, especially his physical education teacher, Mr. Sugden. Billy's life has the potential to change when he finds something on which to focus. Having spotted a nest in a neighboring farmer's field, he plans to train a kestrel, a breed of falcon, knowing nothing about the process at the start.

—Huggo