Gritty documentary that looks at the lives of teenagers living on the streets of Seattle.
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Title: Streetwise (1984)
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Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
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Roberta Joseph Hayes | ... | Self |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Baby Gramps | ... | Self |
| Erin Blackwell | ... | Self (as Tiny) | |
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Lou Ellen Couch | ... | Self (as Lulu) |
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Kim | ... | Self |
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Lillie | ... | Self |
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Munchkin | ... | Self |
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Patti | ... | Self |
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Dewayne Pomeroy | ... | Self |
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Rat | ... | Self |
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Shadow | ... | Self |
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Shellie | ... | Self |
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Brandia Taamu | ... | Breezy |
| Tom Waits | ... | Self | |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
Portrays the lives of nine desperate teenagers. Thrown too young into a seedy grown up world, these runaways and castaways survive, but just barely. Rat, the dumpster diver. Tiny, the teen prostitute. Shellie, the baby-faced blonde. DeWayne, the hustler. All old beyond their years. All underage survivors fighting for life and love on the streets of downtown Seattle. Written by Fiona Kelleghan <fkelleghan@aol.com>
Plot Keywords:
teen prostitute | seattle washington | street life | suicide | prison |Taglines:
At 13, there's not much Lillie hasn't seen. Except love. See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Music by John W. Bratton
Lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy
Performed by Baby Gramps
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Picked by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the "50 Greatest Independent Films" in a special supplement devoted to independent films that was only distributed to subscribers in November 1997. See more »Quotes
Rat: I love to fly. It's just, you're alone with peace and quiet, nothing around you but clear, blue sky. No one to hassle you. No one to tell you where to go or what to do. The only bad part about flying is having to come back down to the fucking world.See more »
Connections
Referenced in At the Movies: Lost in Yonkers/Carnosaur/American Heart/Posse/The Story of Qiu Ju (1993) See more »Soundtracks
The Teddy Bear's PicnicMusic by John W. Bratton
Lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy
Performed by Baby Gramps
See more »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
26 October 1984 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Streetwise See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$5,006, 21 July 2019Gross USA:
$9,904Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$9,904Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
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This documentary hits very close to home. I grew up with "Rat" after 1984, and our lives are still involved in some ways. I saw this movie as a teenager and it really makes you think about how things could be. Most kids can't wait to get out "on their own" and when you look at the way some roads can take you, you don't ever want to leave. When I look back at how "Rat" grew up and the lives of these other kids, I think to myself how easy it could have been me or kids that I know now. When you watch this movie, you will always remember that LIFE is such a short period of time and so many things can bring you down along the journey. But you have to keep in mind that the negative is always a learning experience, the question is...would you take the same journey again?