The film chronicles the life of a working-class Ulster Protestant family from the perspective of their nine-year-old son Buddy during The Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[9] Buddy’s father Pa works overseas in England, while the family — Ma, elder brother Will, and paternal grandparents Granny and Pop — live in Belfast.

During the August 1969 riots, a group of Protestant loyalists attacks the homes and businesses of Catholics on Buddy’s street. The residents of the street set up a barricade to prevent further conflict and Pa returns home from England to check up on the family’s wellbeing. The family attends church, where the minister delivers a harsh fork-in-the-road speech; the rhetoric is continually reflected upon by Buddy throughout the film. Buddy develops feelings for a fellow high-achieving classmate, Catherine, a Catholic, and they eventually become friends.

Local criminal and sectarian rabble-rouser Billy Clanton approaches Pa demanding his involvement in “the cause”; when Pa refuses, he becomes aggressive and continues to incessantly approach Buddy. Meanwhile, the family struggles to pay off their accumulated tax bill. Pa dreams of emigrating to Sydney or Vancouver, a prospect met with distress by Ma. However, she can no longer deny the option of leaving Belfast as the conflict worsens and Pa is offered a promotion and housing deal in England by his employers. At Christmas, they attempt to discuss the matter with the boys, but Buddy breaks down at the thought of leaving.

Buddy and his cousin Moira attempt to steal chocolates from a sweet shop, but the plan goes awry. When later questioned by the police, he does not reveal his co-conspirators. Following this, Moira recruits him into her local gang, who turn out to be Ulster loyalists that loot a supermarket during a riot. A reluctant Buddy is coerced into stealing a box of laundry detergent before he returns home and informs Ma of his activities. Ma berates him and drags both Buddy and Moira back to the ongoing looting in order to return their stolen items.

Billy then appears and takes them, hostage, as leverage for his own escape. Pa, Will, and the British Army arrive at the scene to end the riot. This initiates a standoff with Billy who attempts a shootout until Pa and Will manage to disarm him. He is then promptly arrested and swears retribution.

When realizing that they are no longer safe in Belfast, the family decides to leave for England. Pop dies after a bedridden period. Before departing, Buddy bids farewell to Catherine. He later laments about whether he could have pursued a future with her despite the fact she was a Catholic. Pa responds that it should not make any difference and, as Granny watches, the family boards a bus headed for the airport. Granny watches as the bus departs and encourages her family to go forward toward the future, and not to look back.

Time: 5:00 PM — 7:00 PM EST

Free!

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