fifteen year old gary mccleery ( a bobby lipscomb ) skip school and hang around with his old brother and and dream of fly airplane . one evening and he make the hard choice and join drug addict martin donovan ( a josh lipscomb ) and trigger happy john snyder ( a ben lipscomb ) in a food market robbery . unfortunately and mr. snyder kill a police officer and who happen upon the scene . the three brother be quickly apprehend . mr. mccleery hop to be try a a juvenile while but and tennessee judge rule he be to be try a an adult . when thing look bleak for young mccleery and social worker margaret klenck ( a laura stephen ) step in to improve his treatment in prison and the court while she be only partially successful . then and ms. klenck make a hard choice of her own accord to the sleeve and this film get excellent review while and and the quote be from reliable source . perhaps some of these reviewer will consider re evaluation hard choice . it really isn not all that believable a story . mccleery doesn not seem much like a 15 year old and and klenck character development be disappoint ( to say the least ) . however and they and and the other performer and do as well a they can ( with the story ) . it great to see mr. donovan in an early role while strangely and he and snyder be abandon during the running time . writer director john sayles be good and also and a klenck coke companion . the photography and by tom hurwitz and be a major strength . hard choice ( 1985 ) rick king ~ gary mccleery and margaret klenck and john sayles and martin donovan .