An 11 year old boy joins his ex-con uncle in attempting to go legit, and finds his transition into manhood hastened after the ambitious endeavor fails to take shape. Ever since Woody's mother went missing, the impressionable young boy has lived with his grandmother and his Uncle Vincent. Recently paroled after nearly a decade in the penitentiary, Vincent walks with a swagger that captivates his young nephew, who currently teeters on the precarious cusp of adolescence. Eager to become the male role model that Woody so desperately needs, Vincent offers the young boy the opportunity to join him in starting his own business. Unfortunately for Vincent, it just wasn't meant to be. Later, when Vincent's nefarious former boss Mr. Fish enters the picture, young Woody is forced to grow up before his time. Common, Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, and Charles S. Dutton star.