Fleeing various hardships, a group of young people form a protective family of their own on the streets of Los Angeles, led by King.

After being released after two months in prison for assault, he feels the group (him, Greg, Little J, Crasher, and Brenda), fell apart in his absence.

He is introduced to Heather, a 17-year-old from Chicago, whom he includes in his revenge on Tommy Ray, who killed his girlfriend, Devon.

Meanwhile, King and Heather have trouble earning money, but he won't turn to prostitution, unlike Little J's friends Rob and Kimmy.

Rob entices Little J, but while servicing his client Charles, Little J recalls the childhood sexual abuse from his uncle.

In jail, Greg admits to drug addiction, so a social worker gets him into a rehabilitation center and he is paroled.

Greg flees from the rehabilitation center in the meantime, but unable to find the group, he goes to Ted, who is worried about him because he hasn't slept for four days and tries to 'help' him by shooting him up with heroin.

The film's director, Marc Rocco was attracted to the production when he read the script from Michael Hitchcock.

Hitchcock was inspired to write the script due to his experience on working at a shelter for teenage runaways in Hollywood.

On why she accepted the role, Boyle commented in a 1991 interview that the script smacked her with reality: "One day when I was thinking about doing the movie, I passed Hollywood and Highland Avenue, and looked over and saw 30 kids hanging out.

"[3] The film received generally positive reviews but was a box-office disappointment, earning $190,961 at 93 theaters during its opening weekend.

[..] It is not a poetic or pseudo-romantic view of runaway life (which seems like a hell interrupted by occasional laughs), but on the other hand it isn't hysterical, either.