The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, Indefatigable

The movie's long title, speaks to the indefatigable spirit of 2 boys struggling to overcome insurmountable barriers.  Mister & Peter are 2 abandoned kids who endure by relying on each other.  Mister's (Skylan Brooks) & Pete's (Ethan Dizon) moms are addicts & pushers who work for the same drug dealer.  Gloria (Jennifer Hudson) Mister's mom is arrested for heroin use and taken into custody while 14 year old Mister & the younger Pete, hide so as not to be taken & placed in a state run home where "several boys have been killed."  Mister's defiant attitude & foul mouth work make him his own worst enemy.  But, we learn to sympathize when we see the pain & neglect he has to bear.  Mister believes his mother will return home in less than a week. Weeks turn to months and the boys are left to fend for themselves.  Mister becomes the care giver to the trusting Pete.  They scavange for food & struggle to protect themselves in a horrendous dog eat dog world. Mister perseveres with his plan to audtion for an acting job that will bring him (& Pete) to Beverly Hills. Skylan Brooks as Mister is an exceptionally talented actor who brings toughness & vulnerability to his role.  Ethan Dizon is too adorable which works against his character.  Casting Jennifer Hudson as Gloria was a bigger misstep.  Hudson looks every bit the glamorous star; not a desperate junkie.  However, Jeffery Wright is totally convincing & unrecognizable as the mendicant vet.  I'm recommending this movie as a thoughtful & penetrating portrait at life's harsh realities.  "Nobody can manage to do it alone."