An illegal immigrant who imagined America to be the land of opportunity finds that good fortune does not come as easily as he thought in this drama. Liam (Karl Geary) is a man from Ireland who has grown tired of the poverty and limited opportunities of his homeland, so he smuggles himself into the United States, hoping to find work in New York. While Liam's initial contacts in the Bronx turn sour on him, his unstable cousin Des (Ian Hart) allows him to stay in the flat that he shares with two other illegal aliens from Ireland, Owen (Jared Harris), a construction worker, and Paddy (Aidan Gillen), a gardener. Living across the hall from Des and his mates are Mary (Louise Lombard), who's currently dating Owen, and Brenda (Andrea Irvine), who has her eyes on Liam. Paddy, meanwhile, has fallen in love with the daughter of his boss, but given that he's an Irish immigrant struggling to get by and she comes form a wealthy family from Connecticut, he's not sure how he'll overcome their social differences. Eventually, Liam finds work in a bar run by Mario (James Belushi) as he tries to make a place for himself in America while staying out of harm's way. Gold in the Streets marked the feature directorial debut for screenwriter and actress Elizabeth Gill.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide