Toe to Toe

I caught this movie on cable. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was given the relatively unknown actors. The teens' dialogue seemed realistic and the depiction of the home life felt authentic. It came close to being "cliche ridden" but never quite got there. I presume the director had real life experience with the subject matter. I found myself caring about the characters. However, I wish there would have been at least one positive male role model. It was great to see Gaius Charles - who was terrific in Friday Night Lights - in a different role. In addition, Leslie Uggams did a nice job. For "The Wire" fans, there was a cameo by an actor who had a meaty role in that excellent series.