Set in the Bronx during the tumultuous 1960s, an adolescent boy is torn between his honest, working-class father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss. Complicating matters is the youngster's growing attraction - forbidden in his neighborhood - for a beautiful black girl.
Robert De Niro's directorial debut earned strong critical approval, with reviewers drawn to its richly observed portrait of Bronx street life and the moral tug-of-war at its center. The film stands out among coming-of-age stories for balancing neighborhood authenticity with genuine emotional weight, and De Niro's control of tone — shifting between comedy, menace, and sentiment — was singled out as a particular achievement.
“very funny [and] very touching. It is filled with life and colorful characters and great lines of dialogue, and De Niro, in his debut as a director, finds the right notes as he moves from laughter to anger to tears [while] retaining its values.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
Crime, Drama
Set in the Bronx during the tumultuous 1960s, an adolescent boy is torn between his honest, working-class father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss. Complicating matters is the youngster's growing attraction - forbidden in his neighborhood - for a beautiful black girl.
Robert De Niro's directorial debut earned strong critical approval, with reviewers drawn to its richly observed portrait of Bronx street life and the moral tug-of-war at its center. The film stands out among coming-of-age stories for balancing neighborhood authenticity with genuine emotional weight, and De Niro's control of tone — shifting between comedy, menace, and sentiment — was singled out as a particular achievement.
“very funny [and] very touching. It is filled with life and colorful characters and great lines of dialogue, and De Niro, in his debut as a director, finds the right notes as he moves from laughter to anger to tears [while] retaining its values.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
Crime, Drama