Rockaway

Rockaway

Year: 2017

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: John J. Budion

AdventureDramaMoving relationship storiesEmotional and touching family dramasTouching and sentimental family stories

Inspired by true events, a man recounts the summer of ’94, when he and his brother plotted revenge against their abusive father.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Rockaway (2017)

Trace every key event in Rockaway (2017) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Abuse at home shapes the brothers

Anthony and John grow up under the fear of their father's abuse. John especially bears witness to his mother being beaten, which leaves him shaken and protective of his sibling. The two brothers lean on each other as a refuge from the violence at home.

Childhood Rockaway East (family home)
2

The gang forms on the basketball court

Anthony and John befriend Sal, Billy, Dom, and Brian while playing street basketball on the neighborhood courts. The games cement a close-knit bond among the kids. They start spending more time together off the court as their crew grows.

Childhood Basketball court
3

John Starks becomes a fixation

John becomes obsessed with Knicks star John Starks, using the player as a focal point for his dreams and frustrations. The rest of the group channels their energy through basketball and shared pop culture references. The Knicks become a symbol of their youthful camaraderie.

Childhood
4

The gang solidifies into a surrogate family

The kids form a tight gang, offering support and loyalty to each other through their daily struggles. They share meals, stories, and plans for the future, imagining a more stable life beyond their troubled homes. The gang becomes a surrogate family.

Childhood Rockaway East streets
5

Move and a plan for revenge

Anthony and John's mother decides to move away, uprooting their lives. Before leaving, the brothers hatch a plan for revenge against their abusive father, plotting to harm him with a slingshot and a toppled boiler. The scheme reveals how far they’re willing to go to feel safe.

Before moving Family home / neighborhood
6

A Knicks game night turns tense

One night, Anthony, John, and their friends watch a Knicks game together. Their father becomes furious after discovering the refrigerator is empty, and their friends choose to side with the brothers instead of siding with their father. The tension foreshadows the upheaval to come.

Evening Family home
7

The night before the move at Sal's

The gang spends time at Sal's house watching a Knicks game, unaware that their own house is on fire. They share stories and solidify their bond as danger creeps closer. The blaze underscores the impending break from their old life.

Night before moving Sal's house
8

Anthony saves his mother

During the crisis at the family home, Anthony acts to save his mother from fainting, displaying a protective instinct amid rising danger. His quick action offers a glimpse of the courage that threads through the brothers and their friends. The moment highlights Anthony's resolve to shield his family.

Night Family home
9

Anthony's failed rescue of his father

Anthony then resolves to rescue his father from the basement, driven by loyalty and duty. The attempt is doomed, and he cannot save his father as the situation spirals downward. Both he and his father perish in the basement.

Night Family home basement
10

Grief and departure

The gang mourns Anthony's death, their grief marking the end of an era. John leaves Rockaway East without telling anyone where he is going, signaling a fracture in the group that once felt invincible. The community begins to drift apart in the wake of tragedy.

Immediately after Rockaway East
11

Twenty years later: John returns

Two decades later, an adult John returns to Rockaway East by train, revisiting the places he used to stroll with the gang. The journey hints at unresolved memories and the passage of a long, formative period.

Twenty years later Rockaway East
12

A quiet reconnection begins

John rents a bicycle and cycles the familiar streets, tracing the paths of his youth. The act marks a tentative re-engagement with a past that still shapes his present. The landscape of his adolescence surfaces in this quiet reconnection.

Twenty years later Rockaway East
13

Dom and the old gang reappear as adults

John meets Dom, who now teaches in high school, signaling a bridge between their past and present. He learns that Brian, Billy, and Sal have become fathers, revealing how their lives diverged yet remained connected by history. The film closes on the sense that memory persists through generations.

Twenty years later High school vicinity / community

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:58

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Rockaway Summary

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Rockaway Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Rockaway

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Rockaway

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Rockaway Spoiler-Free Summary

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