This Town

The Setting The setting for This Town is a small Italian-American neighborhood on the outskirts of Chicago, but its themes are universal. A thought-provoking story that will hit you hard and stay with you long after you are done watching. This Town is in part a social commentary, giving us some scary insight into todays youth but also reflecting the points of view of different generations. At heart, the movie asks the viewer to decide if these characters are right or wrong in their doings. Every character has a dilemma, and they all come to terms with it in their own way. But morally, are they wrong? Or are the victims of their own surroundings? There is no clear answer, making the viewer the ultimate judge. The Story The story centers on a group of four young men that have been friends since grade school. Tommy has been sentenced to twelve years in a federal penitentiary for interstate drug trafficking. Johnny is his life-long best friend; his parents resent him being friends with Tommy, and feel that he is underachieving because of it. Alex, a struggling artist, is the womanizer of the group. Jimmy seems like he is the only normal one of the group; he has a steady job and lives with his girlfriend of seven years. The story also centers around a family of three: Michael, a former criminal and womanizer, is now paralyzed and cannot take care of his most basic needs; his wife, Faith, now takes care of him and provides for the family now that her husband cannot; and their only daughter Angie, who is the perfect daughter anyone would want. The climax of the film is when everyones story intertwines and all hell breaks loose. Characters are forced to make critical choices on a moral, religious, and spiritual level. Some redeem themselves; others rediscover themselves. One thing is for certain: they will never be the same.