Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

****** WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD ******** The story of Stevie. An out-of-control kid who's own mother won't tell him who his real father is. He's a kid from a religious conservative family living in a trailer that was shown "tough love" or no love at all during his childhood. He was put up for adoption and that's when his big brother came into his life. The happiest year. Ten years later the big brother is a film maker come to find out what happened to Stevie.This is where the movie begins. In my humble opinion Stevie turned into a red neck petty criminal with a heart of gold. He tries to act tough but as the details of his life are revealed a picture of a loveless existence is revealed. It makes me think what Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh might have become without money. He's funny at times but the things he says are so extreme that they keep getting him in trouble. I feel for him but the comments about hurting people push me away.Excellent movie but sad. I wish I knew where he was today or what happened to him after going to jail.

If you haven't figured out that Steve James is an excellent filmmaker then re-rent and watch again. This movie is emotionally gripping from start to finish. Its an excellent examination of how society can fail the children that need the most help, and that some crimminals are really made not born. I thought the way his case played out was really one of the most interesting parts of the movie, be it Stevie's view, childish and ignorant, or his lawyer who seemed to want nothing to do with the case except to have it go away. Anyhow this is a good film that shows a part of humanity that everyone would like to believe doesn't exist. James throws a spotlight on it with this film.

This film does not offer easy answers to the problem that is Stevie. It is a scarry sobering look at how on every level, the system and people that should have looked out for this young man failed. It is not a comfortable story and it does not have a happy ending. The people in this mans life should feel guilty for deserting him. But, when should we begin to hold Stephen accountable for his actions and the crime he committed. When does it stop being everyone elses fault. This is an invaluable DVD to add to anyones collection. No longer will you be able to label criminals as animals without thinking first, about what lead to their actions.

This film is about a kid named Stevie from rural southern Illinois who was abused, neglected, and bounced around between various homes as a child. As an adult, he acts as we might predict: he is unstable, has a skewed moral compass, is child-like, and commits serious crimes. The filmmaker was a mentor to Stevie while at college and returns to catch up with him years later. He finds out that Stevie has been indicted with a serious crime and faces a long prison sentence. He uses this film as a way to investigate the root causes of Stevie's current behavior and to alleviate some guilt about not 'being there' for Stevie - after college, he moved to Chicago and didn't have contact with Stevie for many years. This film is a discussion-starter and brings up many questions about how children are raised and how a child's upbringing will affect his/her life. The editing job is mediocre and I think the film starts to get long-winded and boring toward the middle. Also, I can't help but feel that the director's somewhat warped, voyeuristic vision of what the film is or what it will do is ethically questionable. However, the film is honest and straight-forward and will elicit good discussion afterwards, even if you do end up pretty depressed. 6 out of 10