Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz plays a troubled teen who is sent against his will to a psychiatric clinic which is filled with kids who are in much worse shape than he is. Donald Sutherland plays a compassionate psychiatrist who is the sole sympathetic voice in this teenage "snake pit."

Tim Doolan (Adam Horovitz) hates his parents. His father (Graham Beckel) is an absentee ex-cop, and his mother (Celia Weston) is a simpering upper middle class socialite who has recently remarried and can't understand her alienated and destructive son. A rich Los Angeles teen lost in a world of gang violence, drugs, and despair, Tim, along with his half brother, Andy (Don Bloomfield), parties all night at local clubs and belongs to a wealthy white gang that attempts to be as tough and streetwise as neighboring Latino gangs. His sole comfort comes from Cheryl (Amy Locane), a troubled, beautiful girl he admires from afar. One night, after a nasty gang fight, Tim goes to Cheryl's house and finds her ready and willing to party. However, the night ends abruptly when Cheryl drives her mother's car into the family pool. Tim and Cheryl wake up in the morning to the Los Angeles police and their unforgiving parents. Whisked away to juvenile detention, Tim is then placed in a high-security sanitarium where rich kids are left to figure out their problems in group therapy, abandoned by their frustrated and busy parents. Tim reacts to the sanitarium with rage and aggression until he meets Dr. Loftis (Donald Sutherland), a stern but liberal therapist who is willing to help and listen. With the support of Loftis, Tim finally begins to realize his own sense of self-worth. Director Hugh Hudson's honest portrait of troubled teens is simultaneously dark and uplifting, with gritty and intense performances from its young cast. Veteran actor Sutherland is captivating in his complex and challenging role.