In Sixties New York, four young boys, Lorenzo, Michael, John and Tommy, grow up in Hell's Kitchen, befriended by both the local priest and the gang boss. However, when a prank has near-fatal consequences the boys are sent to reform school, where they are sexually abused and beaten by a quartet of prison guards, an experience that marks the rest of their lives. Barry Levinson directs an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon and Jason Patrick.