Big Shots

Obie and his father share a morning fishing trip in Hinsdale, Illinois, where his dad talks about life and hands him his watch as a keepsake. The moment establishes the watch as a symbol Obie will cling to. This quiet scene contrasts with what follows as trouble begins to stir.

Back at school, Obie's mom arrives with urgent news that his father is in the hospital after a heart attack. The announcement interrupts his day and unsettles his sense of safety. The family confronts a frightening and uncertain medical situation.

Over the following days, Obie's father succumbs to the heart attack and dies. The loss hits the family hard, forcing Obie to grapple with grief while trying to preserve some normalcy. The event sets Obie on a path away from home and toward the unfamiliar city.

Grief drives Obie to leave school and head into the city. He ends up on the South Side of Chicago, far from his suburban life and safety net. The unfamiliar urban landscape presents immediate danger and new, troubling dynamics.

Obie is robbed of his bike and watch in a rough confrontation. A streetwise boy named Scam befriends him and helps retrieve the watch, forming an uneasy alliance born of mutual need. Their bond marks the start of an unlikely friendship.

Scam takes Obie to a bar where they meet Johnnie Red. Scam suspects Johnnie Red bought the watch, but Johnnie denies it, turning the search into a broader mystery. The bar scene pulls in dangerous figures and raises tension.

They go to Keegan's pawn shop and find Obie's watch displayed, but Keegan refuses to return it, hinting at a larger sting. His cruel comment about Obie's dad pushes Obie to reclaim the watch by any means. The confrontation sets the next moves in motion.

Obie stays with Scam at a hotel managed by Miss Hanks. Doc and his assistant Dickie arrive, chasing the man who fled earlier. The hotel becomes a perilous stage as the hit men close in on the boys.

Doc and Dickie catch their mark, kill him, and stuff his body in the trunk of a dark Mercedes. Scam uses the car with Obie to go to the bank to get money for the watch, unaware of the corpse inside. The illegal move complicates every subsequent choice.

Back at the pawn shop, Keegan stiff-arms them by taking the money and refusing the watch. The boys counter with cap guns, but Obie fires a real bullet when pressed, triggering a struggle that draws police attention. Scam is caught, and Obie escapes with the stolen car.

Obie subdues an officer and steals the Mercedes, leading a frantic chase through city streets and an alley. The pursuit ends in a crash, but the boys manage to slip away and continue their journey. The incident cements Obie's resolve to protect Scam at all costs.

In a diner, Scam reveals that his own father is alive and has been searching for him. He explains his past and the pain of growing up alone. Obie begins to understand Scam as more than just a problematic kid and contemplates their shared future.

Moved by Scam's story, Obie decides to help him locate his father. He returns home with renewed purpose and a plan to pursue leads that could reunite Scam with his dad. The friendship deepens as they commit to an uncertain quest.

A social worker informs Obie that Scam has been placed in a home, prompting Obie to take action. He enlists Johnnie Red's help to continue the search and to navigate the tangled web of streets and people who might know Scam's father. The plan expands beyond city limits.

Obie and Johnnie Red rescue Scam by posing as his father at a youth center, allowing him to reunite with his own father in Louisiana. The journey leads them to cross a ferry and begin the final leg toward family reconciliation. The ending brings Obie closure with his mother and Scam's reunion with his dad.