In a South Bronx neighborhood offering few opportunities, Tommy Rivera is a young painter with a focus and a future--if he can transcend his surroundings. His art, inspired by the conflicts around him, could be his salvation. Tommy draws strength from family and friends. Following the death of his father, Allen Miller and his mother move into the neighborhood. When newcomer Allen is attacked by a street gang, Tommy intervenes. The two young men form an unlikely friendship, and Allen is reluctantly accepted by Tommy's circle of friends. But this fragile harmony is soon shattered: Tommy, Allen, and their friends are rounded up by the police for a crime they did not commit. Forced into a turning point, they will make choices that will change their lives forever.