Written and directed by Robert Houston and produced by Kim Jorgensen, the film follows a group of juvenile delinquents who escape the oppressive Catholic orphanage where they live in order to rescue one of their fellow "inmates".

While the film's adult stars Martin Mull, Karen Black, Anne De Salvo, and Murphy Dunne received top billing in promotional materials, the story is told through the perspective of the adolescent protagonists; played by Georg Olden, Pamela Segall, Michael Hentz, Joey Coleman, and Christopher Brown.

[2][3][4][5] The film begins at the ominous "Home of the Bleeding Heart" Catholic orphanage, where teenage delinquent "Piper" (Georg Olden) arrives by police escort.

There he meets the cruel overseers: the stern head-mistress of the orphanage, Sister Serena (Anne De Salvo), and the cattle-prod wielding head-master, Mr. Kurtz (Murphy Dunne).

However, the family of young misfits is shattered when the Fitzpatricks (Martin Mull and Karen Black), a self-absorbed upper-class couple, find Mouse irresistible and decide to adopt him, promptly whisking him away to their suburban home in Santa Barbara, California.

As Piper, Georg Olden has a charisma and physical grace far beyond his years, and musclebound Christopher Brown playing a suave black kid named, uh, Blackie, has the penetrating presence of a mini Yaphet Kotto.