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.
Acting
Noah Fleiss's dead-eyed devastation. Val Kilmer's terrifying drunk dad.
Writing
Whaley's autobiographical script—every humiliation feels lived-in.
Director
Frank Whaley
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Frank Whaley's directorial debut, based on his actual Syracuse childhood. The diner scenes were shot in his real former workplace.
Sundance 1999's bleakest entry. Critics called it 'depression porn'; survivors called it recognition. The $1500 debt structure mirrors Whaley's own father's scams.
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