Despite the cast, this is a static crime drama with no particular payoff. Eighteen-year-old Eric Poole (Foster) moves in with his aunt (Dern) after being released from a juvenile detention center where he was incarcerated for murdering his parents. Troubled teen Lori (Traub) is obsessed with the crime and ingratiates herself into Eric's life. Eric is also being tracked by Detective Cristofuoro (Crowe) who doesn't believe Eric has been rehabilitated at all. Based on the Robert Cormier novel.