Streetwise
1984 · Movie · 91 min · ★ 7.6 · 95% critics
This documentary follows a group of teenagers living on the streets of Seattle as they describe their day-to-day reality. Through candid moments and conversations, it shows how they get by through panhandling, survival hustles, and petty crime, while also revealing their vulnerability, hopes, and strained family ties.
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Details
- Years
- 1984
- Release date
- 1984-12-07
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (70 votes)
About
You’ll likely connect with this if you want an unvarnished, emotionally heavy documentary about youth survival and resilience, in the vein of Paris Is Burning; Not for you if you prefer lighter viewing or neatly structured storytelling.
Pros: powerful, hard-to-shake moments; candid teen perspectives; compassionate, unsentimental tone | Cons: some scenes feel staged; uneven intimacy; tough subject matter
Themes
- seattle, washington
- homelessness
- teenage prostitute
- homeless
- homeless teenager
- homeless child
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Documentary Feature Film · 1985 · nominated
Cast & crew
Erin Blackwell
as Self
Dewayne Pomeroy
as Self
Roberta Joseph Hayes
as Self
Lulu Couch
as Self
- RE
Reed Early
as Self
- PP
Patrice Pitts
as Self
- RA
Rat
as Self
Directed by Martin Bell