Joe

A 15-year-old Gary impresses Joe Ransom with his industriousness and asks for a job. Joe hires him to join the Texan tree-poisoning crew, setting up the mentor-mentee dynamic of the film. Gary starts at the bottom but quickly proves to be reliable.

The next day, Gary brings his alcoholic father Wade to the job. Wade's laziness and bad attitude lead to both of them being fired from the crew. The incident foreshadows the volatile family dynamic to come.

Joe witnesses Wade beat Gary and grab his money, a harsh moment that sets Gary's resolve to prove himself. The assault underscores the danger surrounding Gary's new life. Joe's sense of responsibility begins to clash with Wade's chaos.

Gary goes to Joe's house to ask for his job back, swearing to make up for his father's behavior. Joe agrees and hires him again, and Gary starts working with renewed determination. He even hides his money from Wade to protect it.

Willie Russell shoots and wounds Joe as he leaves a friend's house, igniting a feud that threads through the rest of the story. The attack leaves Joe wary but not defeated. The incident deepens the conflict between Joe, Willie, and Gary.

Gary meets Willie and asks for a ride home; Willie makes lewd comments about Dorothy, Gary's sister. In a burst of protective anger, Gary beats Willie, showing his willingness to fight for the people he cares about. The clash adds to the unstable lawlessness surrounding the crew.

Wade beats a homeless man to death and steals his liquor, revealing the depth of his moral decay. The brutal act ratchets up the danger around Gary and Joe. It tightens the sense that violence follows Wade wherever he goes.

Willie confronts Joe at a bar and demands to know where Gary lives. Joe refuses and defeats Willie, then flees to a brothel. He is spooked by a guard dog and leaves, escalating the high-stakes cat-and-mouse dynamic.

Joe returns to the brothel with his dog Faith and, after a tense confrontation, the dog kills the guard dog. Two police officers stop him at gunpoint, and Joe is arrested but released, continuing the cycle of danger.

Wade confronts Gary at home, demanding money; Gary denies having any and refuses to be forced into a confrontation. The standoff highlights the precarious balance of fear and loyalty in Gary's world.

Joe reveals he served 29 months for assaulting police officers, and the two bond while searching for Gary's missing dog. After hours of searching, they find the dog and Joe gives Gary his lighter as a keepsake. The moment marks a fragile trust forming between them.

Gary admits he has enough money to buy a truck, and Joe takes him to the dealership, urging him to keep money for insurance and promising help. A patrol officer stops them, and Joe refuses to take a breathalyzer, leading to a tense, escalating confrontation.

A senior officer, a friend and fellow ex-con, visits Joe to warn him to keep his nose clean. The warning underscores the mounting risk of Joe's forbidden lifestyle. Joe listens but the danger remains.

Gary arrives with the sheriff as Joe confronts Wade's scheme to pimp Dorothy to Willie. In the ensuing clash, a thug shoots Willie; Joe kills the thug and finishes Willie off. Wade fights with Joe on a bridge; Joe misses when he tries to shoot Wade, who then leaps to his death. Joe collapses from his injuries as Gary watches his death and Wade's body nearby.

Time passes and Gary drives Joe's car with Joe's dog to a job interview to replant the woods the crew once tore down. The image closes on Gary continuing Joe's work, honoring the mentor who shaped his life.