

A 19 year old Brooklyn boy who is torn between two worlds when his photography portfolio wins him a partial scholarship to NYU. He must figure out how to balance his Italian neighborhood roots with the expansive, sophisticated world on the other side of the East River. Based on Tim McLoughlin's novel "Heart of the Old Country".
Acting
Vincent D'Onofrio's working-class dad hits different — terrifying and tragic.
Cinematography
Bay Ridge actually looks beautiful, which is almost a miracle.

Director
François Velle
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kevin Zegers was 24 playing 19, which somehow makes the immaturity hit harder. Sophia Bush took this between One Tree Hill seasons — her first real 'prestige' swing.
The novel 'Heart of the Old Country' was part of the 'Brooklyn Noir' anthology boom — this adaptation arrived right when The Sopranos was ending, trying to capture that same working-class Italian-American tension without the HBO budget.