Characters & Roles
16-year-old narrator on trial for felony murder.
Who is Steve Harmon?
Merchandise stolen from drugstore along with cash
What are cigarettes?
Prosecutor who labels defendants "monsters"
Who is Sandra Petrocelli?
Storytelling format Steve uses for his journal
What is a screenplay?
“This is not a movie about bars and locked doors. It is about being alone when you are not really alone and about being scared all the time.” (Steve Harmon)
"This is not a movie about bars and locked doors. It is about being alone when you are not really alone and about being scared all the time."
"My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you, and to make you a human being in the eyes of the jury. Your job is to help me."
What is defense attorney Kathy O'Brien explaining to Steve in a private courthouse meeting on July 6th to outline her defense strategy to humanize him?
''I have trouble testifying against a Black man, if that's what you mean.''
What is Lorelle Henry testifying under cross-examination on July 13th when asked by Asa Briggs about her initial reluctance to identify James King?
Co-defendant accused of shooting Mr. Nesbitt
Who is James King?
Store owner killed during the robbery
Who is Alguinaldo Nesbitt?
Defense lawyer who works to humanize Steve
Who is Kathy O'Brien?
Film club mentor who testifies to Steve's honesty
Who is George Sawicki?
It's funny, but when I'm sitting in the courtroom, I don't feel like I'm involved in the case.... It's only when I go back to the cells that I know I'm involved.
What is Steve reflecting in his journal on July 8th regarding his sense of detachment watching trial proceedings in court versus the harsh reality of his cell?
I remembered Miss O'Brien saying that it was her job to make me different in the eyes of the jury, different from Bobo and Osvaldo and King. It was me, I thought as I tried not to throw up, that had wanted to be tough like them.
What is Steve reflecting while mopping prison floors on July 10th, realizing the irony that he used to want to emulate the tough guys he must now distance himself from?
They're saying that you pulled the trigger. King said the score was over but you turned back and shot Nesbitt. Why did you do that? I can't figure it.
What is Detective Karyl claiming during Steve's police precinct interrogation without his parents present to pressure him into confessing?
Diablos member who claims he helped out of fear
Who is Osvaldo Cruz?
Official cause of death according to Dr. Moody
What is gunshot wound / drowning in blood?
Practice game O'Brien uses to coach Steve
What is the paper cup game?
Camera method used during expert witness testimonies
What is a split-screen montage?
What was going on between us, me being his son and him being my dad, is pushed down and something else is moving up in its place. It's like a man looking down to see his son and seeing a monster instead.
What is Steve writing in his notebook after watching his father weep during a prison visit, fearing his dad now views him as a criminal?
Miss O'Brien made me write down all the people in my life who I love and who love me. Then I had to write down the people who I admire. I wrote down Mr. Sawicki's name twice.
What is Steve recording in his journal on July 14th when listing positive influences and mentors for O'Brien before taking the witness stand?
Half of those jurors ... believed you were guilty the moment they laid eyes on you. You're young, you're Black, and you're on trial. What else do they need to know?
What is O'Brien telling Steve in court on July 8th to frankly address the systemic racial prejudice working against him in front of the jury?
Heavyweight convict who ate fried chicken after crime
Who is Bobo Evans?
Employee who found body after buying Chinese food
Who is José Delgado?
Reason Wendell Bolden's testimony is suspect
What is receiving a sentence reduction deal?
Activity Steve films 5 months post-trial to find himself
What is filming his reflection in a mirror?
His image is in black and white, and the grain is nearly broken. It looks like one of those pictures they use for psychological testing, or some strange beast, a monster.
What is the final camera instruction in Steve's screenplay describing his grainy freeze-frame image after O'Brien turns away from his hug?
Neighborhood peer group that Steve tried to impress that contributed to his legal trouble
Who are the neighborhood "tough guys" (James King, Bobo Evans, Osvaldo Cruz) whom Steve wanted to fit in with?
“Ladies and gentlemen, at the beginning of this case the prosecutor spoke of monsters. She not only found them, but she brought them here to testify for the State.”
What is Asa Briggs arguing during his closing statement on July 14th to attack the credibility of the prosecution's criminal informants (Bobo Evans & Osvaldo Cruz)?
Inmate who bought stolen cigarettes
Who is Bolden?
Detention center where Steve is held during trial
What is Manhattan Detention Center?
Final sentence received by James King
What is 25 years to life?
O'Brien's immediate physical reaction upon acquittal
What is stiffening and turning away from his hug?
Primary emotion causing Steve's sleeplessness on July 17
What is terror and panic over his verdict?
Relationship permanently strained by the trial
Who is his father / Mr. Harmon?
Systemic issue highlighted by Lorelle Henry & O'Brien
What is racial prejudice in the criminal justice system influencing assumptions of guilt before evidence is presented?