L.I.E. (Long Island Expressway) (2001)

One of the most astonishing American independent films in years, L.I.E. tells the story of fifteen-year-old Howie, a young New Jersey native whose life falls apart around him, but who also ends up finding himself during the process. After Howie's mother dies his father, a corrupt building contractor, can barely keep tabs on his new girlfriend, let alone his son's emotional needs. To cope with the pressures that he is under, Howie begins to spend more time with his delinquent friends. However, their pastimes include ditching school and robbing local houses to finance their habits. In the aftermath of one these burglaries Paul and his friends meet ex-marine Big John, and it is then that Howie discovers the secret that binds his friend to this mysterious older man. When his friend suddenly skips town, and his father is busted by the FBI, Howie is completely alone. Can Big John become the paternal figure that Howie needs, or will his predatory instincts prevail?