Dr. Maureen Brennan, a psychiatrist at a youth treatment center, encounters her newest patient, a bi-racial boy named America. Through their sessions, Dr. Brennan helps America come to terms with his roller-coaster life, which began when, as an infant, he was taken by authorities from his crack-addicted mother and placed into foster care. A short time of stability in his life occurred when he lived with Mrs. Harper, the elderly nanny of one of his foster families. He was reunited with his mother at one point, but she soon abandoned him and he went back into foster care. Full of anger and lagging behind in school, America retreats further away from society after years of sexual abuse. After attempting suicide, America is placed in a treatment center where Dr. Brennan helps him open up about his painful past and discover the support and courage he needs to get his life back on track.—Anonymous
A biracial 16-year-old boy named America Vega (Philip Johnson), who has experienced a difficult life of foster care and sexual abuse, undergoes counseling with psychiatrist Maureen Brennan (Rosie O'Donnell) to help him come to terms with his painful past of childhood trauma, including growing up with a crack-addicted mother Susana (Toya Turner). He was taken away by CPS (Child Protective Services) and shuffled through a series of foster homes including the Harpers (Miss Harper (Ruby Dee) and her brother Reggie Harper (Tim Rhoze)).
Maureen Brennan (Rosie O'Donnel) is at a group home where she is giving a small introduction about outlook for most of the group home children's future. She says that they end living on the streets, in jail, or dead. For these kids, pain is the quickest path to pleasure, and they cope by hurting themselves, just so they can feel anything. There are now multiple generations of kids who were raised by a very broken foster care system. The children themselves feel betrayed and angry and are still looking for love and for a family.The residential treatment facility at Ridgeway is the last stop for many of such kids, where Maureen works. Fish (Bubba Weiler) is America's roommate at the facility, where America has been brought in recently.
A young America, emotionally vacant and suicidal, comes to the attention of Brennan. When she tries to talk to America, he refuses to give her any answers about his childhood. America often reflects upon his time with the Harpers when he was a young boy. But he is completely unresponsive in any of the group activity sessions.The facility is co-ed with a separate boy's and girl's dorms. But the boys and girls are allowed to mingle in the common areas such as the cafeteria and the entertainment rooms. This is where America notices Liza for the first time. Liza also reaches out to America and says that he has a little bit of everything inside him.
Maureen wants to know why America tried to kill himself about 3 months ago.Maureen starts by asking America about his childhood, how he was taken away from his mother & put into foster care. America has fleeting images of his past but refutes every attempt by Maureen to talk about it. America was put into foster care with rich white folks, who put him in care of their domestic help, The Harpers. The Harpers tried to adopt America.America has nightmares about his time with Reggie and wakes up sweating and out of breath.
Their teacher Mrs Cole assigns America to read "the Catcher in the Rye" which Liza recommends.Maureen tells America that when he turns 18, he will be out of the system and encourages him to deal with his issues while he has access to the facilities. Maureen tells America to take his GEDs and that way the state will pay for him to go to college.
Back in the group home, America recognizes a person from his past, Brooklyn (Jade Yorker), who is serving food at the group home. America remembers that his mother would often leave him with Brooklyn to run errands, when they were both kids. This was the time when the adoption by Harpers was still not complete, and Susana had visitation rights to America.America remembers that he used to spend a lot of time with Brooklyn when his mom was away, but one day they were both taken away by foster care agencies and were separated till they met at the group home. America was sent back to the Harpers after 3 years of shuffling across different foster homes.America ran away from the Harper's when he was 16. Maureen cannot understand why America ran away from a place which he liked. She also reveals that Miss Harper is alive and lives in a nursing home not far away.
Liza (Raquel Castro), a girl at the group home, starts getting attracted to America & this puts America in direct contest with Liza's boyfriend Marshall (Logan Huffman) who gradually escalates the tension between them. America attacks Marshall when he tells Liza that America tries to hang himself with shoelaces. Liza makes America promise that he won't try to take his own life again.
Marshall retaliates by putting shredded glass on America's bed, which ends up cutting America. America discovers that Liza used to cut her skin on the wrist and then stitch it with needle and thread. America says that he has done something so bad that he can never tell anyone.
Maureen takes America to see Miss Harper. America reveals to Maureen that he was sexually abused by Reggie when he was a kid.Liza wants to have sex with America, but he can't do it as he is haunted by memories of Reggie abusing him.
America reaches out to Maureen that Reggie repeatedly abused America by threatening dire consequences to Miss Harper, whom America used to love and respect. When America was 16, he got drunk, poured liquor all over Reggie and set him on fire & escaped the house. He made sure Miss Harper was safe.At inquiry, Miss Harper said that Reggie had a habit to smoke in bed, which led to the fire and his eventual death. This sharing of hurt with Maureen helps America & sets him on the right path & America enrolls himself into community college.
