AllMovie

A troubled teen longing to flee his small hometown for the excitement of the big city finds his upcoming flight unexpectedly canceled by the tragic death of his mother in an affecting coming-of-age drama about poverty, grief, and the strength of the human connection. Martin is your average, everyday, 16-year-old rebel. Not much happens in Martin's impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhood, and upon hearing about life in the big city, the teen immediately begins making plans to strike out on his own. When he arrives home one day to discover that his mother has fallen to her death from the apartment window, Martin seeks solace in the arms of a sympathetic neighbor girl. As his grief turns to anger and eventually acceptance, Martin is forced to consider the prospect that his father may have played a key role in his mother's untimely death.