AllMovie

A teenager considers an opportunity that could save her life or end it in this streetwise drama from director Alan Jacobs. Rascal (Jessica Romero) is fifteen years old and attending high school in East Los Angeles. Rascal is also one of the leaders of a gang of young Latinas who inherited their turf from older girls from the neighborhood. Rascal's gang often fights with a rival band of African-American teens, and as the long standing territorial battle goes on, the violence increases and the stakes grow higher. But Mr. Shannon (Danny Glover) is an English teacher at Rascal's school who believes she has a real talent for writing, and wants to offer her a chance to escape the cycle of crime around her. Mr. Shannon is lobbying for Rascal to be accepted in a writing workshop for promising young students in Iowa. However, Mrs. Castro (Elizabeth Pena), the principal, knows Rascal best as a severe disciplinary problem, and is against having her represent the school. Even if Rascal is able to persuade Mrs. Castro that she's worth a chance, she knows that loyalty is very important to the gang, and trying to leave could be even more dangerous than staying. Down For Life also features Snoop Dogg, Kate del Castillo and Emily Rios.