Synopsis
A destitute 14-year-old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother.
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Cast
- Noah FleissJoe Henry
- Peter Anthony TambakisYoung Joe
- Val KilmerBob Henry
- Karen YoungTheresa Henry
- Ethan HawkeLen Coles
- Max LigoshMike Henry
- Camryn ManheimMrs. Basil
- Austin PendletonWinston
- John LeguizamoJorge
- Louis ZorichJudge
Recommendations
- 100
San Francisco Chronicle
This is a smart film, told in a minor key, that augurs well for Whaley's directing career. - 75
Boston Globe
Whaley's self-effacing but strongly etched and wrenchingly effective film. - 75
Portland Oregonian
The atmosphere of the movie is dense and unrelieved; it's a heavy role for such a little boy, and some people won't want to watch such a bleak, monster world. - 75
New York Daily News
The movie isn't a day in the park, but it manages to close on an existentially uplifting note. - 75
Chicago Tribune
One of my favorite U.S. fiction features at 1999's Sundance Festival. - 70
Chicago Reader
Deftly realist character study. - 70
L.A. Weekly
Whaley successfully balances his scenes on a knife-edge of tenderness and anger that was Truffaut's trademark. - 67
Austin Chronicle
A powerful little gem: a little bit of "The Outsiders" (the film's tone is remarkably similar to Coppola's film, minus the airy redemption and golden sunrises), a lot of "The 400 Blows," and a slice of "Radio Flyer" all wrapped up in a dirty black bow.
