MFDB

Storyline

Glasgow, 1973. On the brink of adolescence, young John McGill's about to start secondary school. He's a bright and sensitive boy, eager to learn, but the cards are stacked high against him. The McGill family's dirt poor, his hated father's a drunken bully. His teachers are down on him from the start. John's on his own. And then there's the gangs. The Neds. Non-Educated Delinquents. The bad boys with weapons and attitude: cheap drugs, glam rock, fumbling sex, the violence and the camaraderie of the streets. Benny's fearsome reputation buys John protection, and then a way in. Scared, resentful, full of rage, John makes his decision. He takes to the savage life of the streets with a vengeance. But as his rage and frustration spin him further and further out of control, he is left facing a blank wall. No future. With one extraordinary chance of redemption.

Festivals & Academy awards and others

San Sebastián International Film Festival 2010
Official Selection
BFI London Film Festival 2010
Official Selection

San Sebastian International Film Festival Awards 2010
Golden Shell for Best Film
Silver Shell for Best Actor (Connor McCarron)