In this evocative slice-of-life film, a Bronx boy (Lillo Brancato) grows to adulthood worshipping disparate heroes: his hardworking father (Robert De Niro), who drives a city bus, and the neighborhood mob boss (Chazz Palminteri), who becomes a kind of surrogate dad. Joe Pesci co-stars in De Niro's debut as a feature film director, adapted from Palminteri's funny and touching play of the same name.