Mel (Molly Parker) is a mess after the death of her husband. She's a junkie being taken care of by her 10-year-old son Paul. Family friend Vicki (Marsha Thomason) dies in an overdose. Paul is forced to confront that his mother could die from drugs. Her friend Lenny (David Wenham) feeds her the drugs. Paul befriends waitress Louise (Keira Knightley). Mel decides to quit Heroin cold-turkey with Paul helping out but Lenny stop it. Paul's grandparents tries to get him away from his mom.The kid is wonderful in this. Of course, he's given a really juicy role. Molly Parker does a great job as a junkie in a British accent no less. The story is filled with humanity and it flows through the kid. Knightley has a co-starring role as a junkie grifter waitress. It's interesting to see her character presented at first as a savior for the kid.

Maybe the name of Kira Knightley, after the world success of Pirates of the Caribbean was the main reason for this movie to be released as a DVD in the U.S. Even so, it's very interesting for whatever reason, to find this movie available and to have the chance to see an interesting British production. I said "interesting" but not really fully accomplished. The story is moving: an eleven year old kid who loves his young heroing addict mother and who fights for her recovery from drugs until he succeeds. Even so, the movie script makes nothing to make the characters sympathetic, especially in the case of Molly, the junkie mother. The kid, Harry Eden, is just a revelation (at least for me, though I have read that he is also exceptionally good in another movie called "Real Men") and delivers a realistic performing in every way, including his passionate and loving attachment to his mother. Unfortunately, the audience cannot see why is that mother so lovable and the fact that the kid gets "reunited" with her at the end seems awkward and off-putting instead of emotional. Come on, the kid is just another example of the typical subservient relationship that addict or drunk parents develop with their kids. A relationship where the kids "wash, cook and clean" and in short take on themselves the obligation (instead of being the opposite way) to take care of their addicted parent. What are the assurances that this sick manner of relating to each other is not going to be perpetuated, especially when, during the movie, we have not seen any other kind of relationship being developed.Besides that, the script fails miserably in the scene where the kid arranges the arrest of the drug dealer (David Wenham). Suddenly, without any explanation, we find out that the restaurant's owner is the big supplier of the drugs that have been used throughout the movie. Hey, that's just too easy and completely out of the blue. Besides that, the scene itself is just badly planned. Moreover, the final scene is just, to put it bluntly, stupid. Do you imagine social workers and relatives alike deciding by spontaneous voting if a "reformed junkie mother" should be reunited with her sons? Even so, the good sections of this movie become a delightful experience because of Harry Eden's acting, which is always believable, always realistic. Especially remarkable are the scenes when he has his first sexual approaches with the character of Keira Kneightly and when he tries drugs for the first time in his life. Here we have the most convincing line of the whole movie, and which is the only natural development of what his mother has been doing to him: "Now I am like you, mom."

A great deal of crime in the world is drug induced, so those of us who lead a sheltered life have little time for those who indulge in them. However, watching a film such as this does make one stop and think, that in itself reason enough to view.There but for the grace-etc. The performances of all concerned were truly amazing, I am used to Molly Parker giving her all, but this was acting at the highest level, Harry Eden was brilliant. Others have picked out performances, but I haven't seen Geraldine McEwan mentioned, terrific as Gran. Films like this don't usually get awards, all I can say is-they should. Wonderful stuff! (I have voted nine as I reserve ten for that elusive perfect one that comes along once in a while.)

This film has quickly become one of my all time favourites. I was a bit dubious at first thinking this will be just another story of Heroine abuse, but I was wrong. This story of a 10 year old boy, played by the very talented young Harry Eden, trying to rid his mother of a terrible addiction is a touching story and will leave even the coldest heart a bit warmer towards him.This is achieved through great screen play and acting abilities of cast members like Molly Parker who plays the addicted mother and David Wenham who plays Lenny, the pimp/dealer who is feeding Mel's (Molly Parker) addiction. But the true star of the show has to be Harry Eden who is in almost every scene and portraits just about every emotion known to man and seems to do so effortlessly.This is a must see film for anyone that likes to be emotionally touched whilst watching a movie.