Through newly filmed footage in Clinton, Illinois, archival film and photographs, In a Small Town is about life in a late 1950’s Illinois community as told by an immigrant looking back on how, as a child, he got there through unexpected circumstances, and the profound effect it had on him.
It is also an appreciation of a certain time and place in America dear to his heart. But the film transcends his personal journey because we all have a special place in our youth that shaped us and helped make us who we are.

"What is it that makes living in a small town appealing?
Clinton, Illinois is a pleasant town with handsome buildings and pretty houses on streets lined with trees. The people are proud of their history, and talk about their grandparents and great grandparents who settled here.
There’s a feeling that’s hard to describe but it has to do with a closely-knit community where life has a slower pace and where people call each other by their first name, take the time to stop and talk to each other, and help you in time of need. Children can ride their bikes around town where everyone knows who they are and look after them as they do their own.
We may be under the impression this only happened in by-gone days. But if you look harder, you’ll see other towns much like Clinton that have preserved the virtues of the past, while embracing the present. Clinton is the one I know.”
           - Narrator