Sweet Sixteen

In the depressed Scottish town of Greenock, 15-year-old Liam (Martin Compston) anxiously awaits the release of his mother, Jean (Michelle Coulter), from prison. Kicked out of school, with only Jean's abusive boyfriend Stan, and her hateful father for guidance, Liam sets out on his own in hopes of having a fresh start waiting for his mother when she gets out. Deciding to buy a cottage near the river where he, his mother, and his sister, Chantelle (Annmarie Fulton) can live--Liam needs a way to make money as quickly as possible. He steals a stash of heroin from Stan, for him and his loose-cannon best friend, Pinball, to sell on the street--but it turns out that they're infringing on the territory of Tony (Martin McCardie), a local gangster. But Tony, admiring Liam's entrepreneurial spirit, takes Liam in as part of his gang and gives him the chance to increase his earnings exponentially.