movies about poverty/homeless
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- DirectorAmma AsanteStarsStephanie JamesGary SheppeardNathan JonesAt 17 LeighAnne Williams has a six month old baby to look after, with only the help of three teenage squatters who flog stolen gear to make ends meet. A neighbour (actually from Turkey) across the street becomes target to her growing paranoia that Social Services are going to take her daughter, Rebecca, away from her. Her behavior becoming increasingly desperate as her delusions over her neighbor grow. She convinces Steven, Gavin, and Robbie he needs a lesson.
- DirectorMike LeighStarsTimothy SpallLesley ManvilleRuth SheenIn a poor working class London home, Penny's love for her partner, taxi driver Phil, has run dry. When an unexpected tragedy occurs, they and their local community are brought back together.
- DirectorJohn BerryStarsDiahann CarrollJames Earl JonesLawrence Hilton-JacobsIn the 1970s Harlem, garbage collector Roop feels intimidated by the idea of dating Claudine who is a single mother of six on welfare.
- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsJohn ReddyJashaun St. JohnIrene BedardWith an older brother in jail and living with their single mother on Pine Ridge Reservation, Johnny and his sister Jashuan's lives develop new challenges when their absentee cowboy father suddenly dies. The loss prompts Johnny to strike out for Los Angeles, but would mean leaving behind his beloved sister.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsEminemBrittany MurphyKim BasingerFollows a young rapper in the Detroit area, struggling with every aspect of his life; he wants to make it big but his friends and foes make this odyssey of rap harder than it may seem.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsMorgan FreemanBeverly ToddRobert GuillaumeThe dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school he is determined to improve by any and all means.
- DirectorPeter BrattStarsBenjamin BrattAlex HernandezChristopher BorgzinnerA single-parent ex-con in a tough minority neighborhood finds his personal values challenged when he discovers his son is gay.
- DirectorLee DanielsStarsGabourey SidibeMo'NiquePaula PattonIn New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.
- DirectorLarry ElikannStarsMare WinninghamGrace JohnstonL. Scott CaldwellSingle mother Theresa Johnnson becomes homeless, loses her job, and tries to survive with her young daughter Hillary through charities and public shelters.
- DirectorSean BakerStarsBrooklynn PrinceBria VinaiteWillem DafoeSet over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World.
- DirectorThomas CarterStarsJulia StilesSean Patrick ThomasKerry WashingtonA white midwestern girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past.
- DirectorEnid ZentelisStarsCara SeymourMary Kay PlaceNoah FleissA young girl seduced by a boy's affluent, seemingly idyllic family, goes to extremes to gain acceptance and escape her poverty-stricken homelife.
- DirectorPaddy BreathnachStarsSarah GreeneMolly McCannDarragh MckenzieThe story of a mother trying to protect her family after their landlord sells their rented home and they become homeless.
- DirectorBryan WizemannMike S. RyanStarsLauren AmbroseAudrey P. ScottChanel FlowersAs things unravel for a struggling single mother in Las Vegas, she must decide what she's willing to give up to get by.
- DirectorR.J. Daniel HannaStarsMatthew ModineSamantha SloyanVanessa WilliamsA struggling inner-city mother sacrifices everything to give her son a good education. Unwilling to allow her son to stay in a dangerous school, she launches a movement that could save his future - and that of thousands like him.
- DirectorLiz FriedlanderStarsAntonio BanderasRob BrownYaya DaCostaA dance teacher offers to conduct detention for a group of misfit students by teaching them ballroom dancing. He overcomes their insecurities and prejudices, to enter them in a dance competition.
- DirectorRanda HainesStarsMatthew PerryJudith BuchanGriffin CorkA small-town teacher relocates to one of the country's toughest classrooms.
- DirectorJohn N. SmithStarsMichelle PfeifferGeorge DzundzaCourtney B. VanceLouAnne, a retired US marine, becomes a teacher in a Californian high school. But her mostly Latino and black students from an impoverished and racially segregated locality do not easily embrace her.
- DirectorRichard LaGraveneseStarsHilary SwankImelda StauntonPatrick DempseyA young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves and pursue education beyond high school.
- DirectorSalvatore StabileStarsJohn LeguizamoLeonor VarelaDavid CastroA failed boxer (Leguizamo) struggles to find a job and an apartment for his family on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorNelson GeorgeStarsQueen LatifahVianca MercedesAnna Deavere SmithThe true-life story of a mother who overcame an addiction to crack and became a positive role model and an AIDS activist in the black community.
- DirectorLori SilverbushMichael SkolnikStarsAnny MarianoJudy MartePaola MendozaFollows the choices made by three young women - one a drug dealer, one an addict, one a pregnant teen - in Jersey City.
- DirectorDarnell MartinStarsLuna Lauren VelezJon SedaTomas MellyMoney issues and misunderstandings divide a couple who struggle to raise their children in the Bronx.
- DirectorRichard PearceStarsAidan QuinnRachel GriffithsAmerica FerreraTom Guthrie, a high school history teacher, is faced with raising two young sons after his wife leaves him. Maggie Jones, a fellow teacher, tries to provide comfort and support.
- DirectorJim McKayStarsKerry WashingtonAnna SimpsonMelissa MartinezFocusing on the bonding between three girls in Brooklyn's "Jackie Robinson Steppers Marching Band" and the choices the girls face once their high school closes down for asbestos removal.
- DirectorMark WebberStarsPaul DanoRosario DawsonNaomie HarrisA drama of four interconnecting stories revolving around love, drugs and poverty in Philadelphia.
- DirectorJoe Robert ColeStarsAshton SandersJeffrey WrightIsaiah JohnA young man who committed a homicide deals with the repercussions of his action.
- DirectorOlivia NewmanStarsElvire EmanuelleYahya Abdul-Mateen IIColman DomingoHardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood decides that joining the boys' wrestling team is the only way back to her estranged father.
- DirectorIan Iqbal RashidStarsRutina WesleyTre ArmstrongBrennan GademansFollowing her sister's death from drug addiction, a high school student is forced to leave her private school to return to her old, crime-filled neighborhood where she re-kindles an unlikely passion for the competitive world of step dancing.
- DirectorMalik VitthalStarsJohn BoyegaRotimiGlenn PlummerA 21-year-old reformed gangster's devotion to his family and his future is put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.
- DirectorMichael LarnellStarsChanté AdamsNia LongMahershala AliIn the late 80s/ early 1990s, the most feared battle MC in Queens, New York, was a fierce teenage girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At the age of 14, Lolita "Roxanne Shanté" Gooden was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend as she hustled to provide for her family while defending herself from the dangers of the streets of the Queensbridge Projects in NYC.
- DirectorChris RobinsonStarsKhalil EverageEvan J. SimpsonAshley JacksonA reclusive teenage musical prodigy forms an unlikely friendship with a down-on-his-luck high school security guard. United by their mutual love of hiphop, they confront the demons of their past and try to break into Chicago's music scene.
- DirectorRashaad Ernesto GreenStarsEsai MoralesRobert SalzmanTy JonesAn ex-con returns home to the Bronx after three years in prison to discover his wife estranged and his child exploring a gender transformation that will test the fragile bonds of their family.
- DirectorRon KraussStarsVanessa HudgensRosario DawsonBrendan FraserA pregnant teenager flees her abusive mother in search of her father, only to be rejected by her stepmother and forced to survive on the streets until a compassionate stranger offers a hopeful alternative.
- DirectorRobert TownsendStarsMichael Clarke DuncanLoretta DevineVivica A. FoxSixteen-year-old Xtra Keys hopes to raise his son better than his boozy, razor-edged mother raised him, and he just might get his wish when he's thrust into an unorthodox alternative school full of underprivileged boys.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsAlfre WoodardMichael WarrenMario Van PeeblesAndrea Crawford, an important business woman, risks everything to save a kid from the life of crime.
- DirectorJohn PattersonStarsValerie BertinelliKevin DunnJuliet SorciWhen Stephanie's daughter, Abby, is injured at home, Stephanie finds Abby taken away by the courts. With the help of her lawyer Mr. Lombardi, she does everything in her power to get Abby back.
- DirectorDon McBreartyStarsChandra WilsonKathleen MunroeGabriel HoganA rough history leads Yvonne homeless with her two pets as her only friends.
- DirectorLloyd KramerStarsOprah WinfreyEllen BarkinTina MajorinoA black woman helps a white girl cope with her father's suicide and escape her alcoholic mother's abuse.
- DirectorAnita W. AddisonStarsOprah WinfreyKeith DavidMark LaneFrom Publishers Weekly The devastating story of brothers Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers, children of the Chicago ghetto, is powerfully told here by Kotlowitz, a Wall Street Journal reporter who first met the boys in 1985 when they were 10 and seven, respectively. Their family includes a mother, a frequently absent father, an older brother and younger triplets. We witness the horrors of growing up in an ill-maintained housing project tyrannized by drug gangs and where murders and shootings frequently occur.
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsJada Pinkett SmithQueen LatifahVivica A. FoxDesperation drives four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting each other.
- DirectorStephen Milburn AndersonStarsGlenn PlummerByron MinnsLexie BighamA former gangster fresh out of prison wants to change his life for the better and must save his 10 year old son who has already chosen a gang life.
- DirectorAlbert HughesAllen HughesStarsTyrin TurnerLarenz TateJune Kyoto LuA young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.
- DirectorJohn SingletonStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Laurence FishburneHudhail Al-AmirFollows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence, and future prospects.
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsIce CubeChris TuckerNia LongIt's Friday, and Craig and Smokey must come up with $200 they owe a local bully or there won't be a Saturday.
- DirectorErnest R. DickersonStarsOmar EppsTupac ShakurJermaine HopkinsFour inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice".
- DirectorJohn SingletonStarsAlexsandra WrightTyrese GibsonTaraji P. HensonIn South Central L.A., a misguided 20-year-old African-American man, a "baby boy", faces the commitments of real life.
- DirectorAndrea ArnoldStarsKatie JarvisMichael FassbenderKierston WareingEverything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend.
- DirectorAndrea ArnoldStarsSasha LaneShia LaBeoufRiley KeoughA teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.
- DirectorJonah HillStarsSunny SuljicKatherine WaterstonLucas HedgesFollows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 1990s-era Los Angeles who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.
- DirectorKen LoachStarsDave JohnsHayley SquiresSharon PercyAfter surviving a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight bureaucratic forces to receive Employment and Support Allowance.
- DirectorYi-kwan KangStarsSeo Yeong-juLee Jung-hyunKang Rae-yeonA juvenile offender Ji-gu reunites with his young mom who he thought was dead.
- DirectorKimberly PeirceStarsChloë Grace MoretzJulianne MooreGabriella WildeA shy girl, outcast by her peers and sheltered by her religious mother, unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
- DirectorMenhaj HudaStarsAml AmeenRed MadrellNoel ClarkeA day in the life of a group of troubled 15-year-olds growing up in west London.
- DirectorChristian KlandtStarsMuriel WimmerAntonia PutiloffJoseph Konrad BundschuhThe everyday lives of teenagers, coming from various social backgrounds. For them, sexuality has become a substitute for love, resulting from emotional neglect.
- DirectorVictoria MahoneyStarsSonequa Martin-GreenZoë KravitzJason ClarkeAs her family falls apart, 17-year-old Sweetness O'Hara is left to fend for herself in a neighborhood where her survival is uncertain.
- DirectorMehdi IdirGrand Corps MaladeStarsZita HanrotLiam PierronSoufiane GuerrabThe daily life of a school located in Saint Denis.
- DirectorKery JamesLeïla SyStarsKery JamesJammeh DianganaBakary DiomberaThree brothers try to survive on the streets of a tough French suburb.
- DirectorHouda BenyaminaStarsOulaya AmamraDéborah LukumuenaKévin MischelA street teenager from a dysfunctional family from a banlieue (HLMs) in Paris comes across a young dancer who turns her life upside down.
- DirectorMati DiopStarsMame Bineta SaneAmadou MbowTraoreIn a popular suburb of Dakar, workers on the construction site of a futuristic tower, without pay for months, decide to leave the country by the ocean for a better future. Among them is Souleiman, the lover of Ada, promised to another.
- DirectorPenny MarshallStarsDrew BarrymoreSteve ZahnAdam GarciaA single mother, with dreams of becoming a writer, has a son at the age of 15 in 1965, and goes through a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father.
- DirectorGilbert MosesStarsCharles S. DuttonJasmine GuyGavin AllenAfter experiencing a traumatizing event, a teenage boy hides from friends and family in the New York subway system where he must struggle to survive amid the harsh and unforgiving world of the homeless.
- DirectorStanley M. BrooksStarsAbigail BreslinGeorgie HenleyMira SorvinoTired of their mother's alcoholism and a string of her abusive boyfriends, two sisters plot to kill her.
- DirectorKaryn KusamaStarsMichelle RodriguezDouglas SantiagoJamie TirelliDiana, without her father knowing it, trains as a boxer and achieves impressive success, blazing new trails for female boxers.
- DirectorAnne FletcherStarsChanning TatumJenna DewanDamaine RadcliffTyler receives the opportunity of a lifetime after vandalizing a performing arts school, gaining him the chance to earn a scholarship and dance with an up and coming dancer, Nora.
- DirectorPhilip G. FloresStarsBilly CampbellPortia DoubledayAlex RussellWanting a closer connection with his older brother, freshman Ted Wheeler seeks initiation into a group called "The Kings". But, as the corruption of The Kings is revealed, Ted must expose the ugly truth about the brother he once idolized.
- DirectorJordana SpiroStarsJill ReneNastashia FullerJohn Earl JelksAngel LaMere is released from juvenile detention on the eve of her 18th birthday. Haunted by her past, she embarks on a journey with her 10 year-old sister that could destroy their future.
- DirectorLily MariyeStarsNichole SakuraCourtney MunJessica TuckA 16-year-old half-Japanese teen's life spirals out of control after her parents divorce.
- DirectorA.J. EdwardsStarsTye SheridanImogen PootsCaleb Landry JonesFresh out of foster care at age 18, a young drifter turns to petty crime to survive, and discovers an impossible love in an unlikely friend.
- DirectorChristopher KenneallyStarsSeann William ScottRaquel CastroShiloh FernandezA lonely teenager runs away from home, taking along his abusive stepfather's girlfriend.
- DirectorJosh WebberStarsDavid BannerRobin GivensRomeo MillerAaron Davis is accused of murder and incarcerated for a crime he swears that he did not commit. His son Jalen is forced to grow up on the streets of Los Angeles without the guidance of a father and primarily raised by his mother Shala and Grandmother Camilla. Jalen finds himself in hot water with his life at risk after his friend Diggy decides to partner with one of the biggest drug dealers in the city leaving a large debt to be recouped. Everything seems to turn around when Aaron is reminded to put his faith in God first and use the power of prayer to help solve his problems. Will Aaron find a way to prove his innocence and save his son's life before it is too late?
- DirectorIan RicksonStarsLanre MalaoluHugh WilkinsonAml AmeenTwo detectives, one black and one white, investigate the murder of a studious black teenager. Adapted by the playwright from his 2002 play.
- DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsEvan Rachel WoodHolly HunterNikki ReedA thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend.
- DirectorLaura SomersStarsGerardo M VelasquezJustin RodriguezMichelle MagallonA group of troubled teens from a low-income community break into "Los Ricos", the local mansion with a border fence, and spend the day pretending to be rich in order to forget their difficult lives.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsKathy BatesJennifer Jason LeighChristopher PlummerA big city reporter travels to a small town where her mother has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman for whom she worked as a housekeeper.
- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsQuinton AaronSandra BullockTim McGrawThe story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
- DirectorLee GrantStarsChristine LahtiJeff DanielsScott MarloweThe powerful story of a family's painful descent into the economic tragedy of homelessness.
- DirectorGloria La MortePaola MendozaStarsPaola MendozaSebastian VilladaLaura MontanaNewly-arrived to New York City and deserted by her husband Gabriel, Mariana must find a way, to financially and emotionally provide for her family in a strange city where she barely speaks the language.
- DirectorJohn WhitneyStarsKristina KopfDino TripodisKatie StottlemireA woman struggles to hold her family together in the aftermath of the national financial crisis. Winner: Best Feature, Glass City Film Festival.
- DirectorMatt TauberStarsAnthony LaPagliaViola DavisIsabella RosselliniAn architect engages in conflict with an activist who lives in a dangerous complex the architect designed.
- DirectorRamaa MosleyStarsJuno TempleMichael AngaranoAlexis BledelWhen a couple discovers that a brass teapot makes them money whenever they hurt themselves, they must come to terms with how far they are willing to go.
- DirectorSarah SpillaneStarsHunter Page-LochardChristina RicciAaron L. McGrathAn Aboriginal boy is torn between his unexpected love of acting and the disintegration of his family.
- DirectorBryan ForbesStarsLeslie CaronAnthony BoothAvis BunnageA single, pregnant woman moves into a London boarding house where she meets a group of fellow misfits.
- DirectorRegina CrosbyStarsScott Michael FosterNoa HegeshChris EllisBased on a true story, this high school drama centers on the unlikely friendship between a cheerleader and a bad boy.
- DirectorEduardo W. Roy Jr.StarsRonwaldo MartinHasmine KillipJohn Kenji MontoroJane and Aries are teenage parents. They make a living out of stealing on the streets... until fate hits back at them.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsJennifer LopezRalph FiennesNatasha RichardsonA Senatorial candidate falls for a hotel maid, thinking she is a socialite, when he sees her trying on a wealthy woman's dress.
- DirectorPhilippe FauconStarsSoria ZeroualZita HanrotKenza Noah AïcheAn immigrant mother realizes that her daughters become estranged.
- DirectorBoaz DavidsonStarsTimothy WeadMary CannonT.K. CarterA love story about two teenagers who fall in love, have a child, and escape from their families in an attempt to make life for themselves in New York City.
- DirectorMartin BellStarsJeff BridgesEdward FurlongJohn BoylanAn ex-convict is tracked down by his estranged teenage son, and the pair try to build a relationship and life together in Seattle.
- DirectorPeter Andrew LeeStarsJimi StantonPrincess NokiaStanley SimonsThe Bronx. 1993. A young couple from two completely different worlds, fall in love over a summer that reshapes their lives and the way they view the future ahead of them.
- DirectorHarris DoranStarsMadison IsemanJeff KoberLaura Bell BundyAn empowering story inspired by true events, a poverty-stricken young mother is forced to move when her house is condemned. With no money and no options, she must confront her abusive past in order to save her family.
- DirectorSudz SutherlandStarsCCH PounderTatyana AliStephan JamesThree Jamaicans, who are deported from the U.S., Canada, and England, must make their way in a land that they are not familiar with.
- DirectorSebastián SchindelStarsCecilia RothMiguel Ángel SoláBenjamín AmadeoDesperate and confused, Alicia will do the impossible to keep her son from prison after he's convicted of trying to murder his ex-wife.
- DirectorMyriam VerreaultStarsAriel Fontaine St-OngeKatinen Grégoire-FontaineJoe FontaineTwo girls grow up as best friends in an Innu community who promised each other to stick together no matter what. But their friendship is shaken when Mikuan falls for a white boy.
- DirectorBrett HaleyStarsAuli'i CravalhoRhenzy FelizJustina MachadoAn optimistic high schooler with musical aspirations must learn to accept help from her friends to overcome her personal hardships and fulfill her dreams.
- DirectorEliza HittmanStarsSidney FlaniganTalia RyderThéodore PellerinA pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.
- DirectorMark WebberStarsMark WebberAlia ShawkatShannyn SossamonWhen the mother of his infant son unexpectedly passes away, struggling actor Mark grapples with fatherhood and his inability to grow up. And when he sparks with a single mother, he learns how his choices have real-life consequences.
- DirectorVincent LannooStarsCameron BrightIsabella Blake-ThomasHannah MurrayLittle Glory is a present-day emotional coming of age drama set partly in a small town in Michigan. Its somber and realistic plot centers around sibling relationships and custodial matters.
- DirectorLeslie HarrisStarsAriyan A. JohnsonKevin ThigpenEbony JeridoWith hopes of becoming a doctor and not a product of her environment, a Brooklyn teenager is faced with numerous challenges that threaten her dreams.
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsDakota FanningJennifer HudsonQueen LatifahIn 1964, a teenage girl in search of the truth about her mother runs away to a small town in South Carolina and finds a family of independent women who can connect her to her past.