Amma Asante, Brenda Blethyn, Gareth Gethyn Evans

Single teen mother Leigh-Anne (Stephanie James) tries to keep her baby's grandmother (Brenda Blethyn) and Social Services from taking her child away in this stark look at life in the British projects....( read more  read more... ) When a social worker talks to a concerned Turkish neighbor (Oliver Haden), Leigh-Anne's racist views mix with utter paranoia and the situation turns deadly. Nathan Jones, Gary Sheppeard and Dean Wong co-star.

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75% liked it

484 ratings

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5 critics

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Directed by: Amma Asante

Release Date: September 14, 2004

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DVD Release Date: April 10, 2007

Stats: 49 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (49)


  • December 4, 2007
    Directed by: Amma Asante.
    Starring: Stephanie James, Brenda Blethyn, Michael Conway, Marged Esli.

    A movie, that has won over 14 awards since its release in 2004 at many international festivals yet it isn't widely known by many at all.....it deserves t...( read more)o be.

    From first time director and writer Amma Asante, the story follows a group of teenagers growing up in a dead-end community in Wales. Each one has there own story, we have Leigh-Ann, who is a teenage mother, struggling to make a living for her child, while also being frustrated and humiliated by her community, feeling that her social worker is going to take her baby away, Robbie, who loves his heritage and wants to get out of where he lives...and hates the fact that all the 'pakkies' are getting the attention and the work, Gavin, who is desperately looking for love and Stephen, who hates his heritage and is trying to search for an identity. The screenplay by Amma is brilliantly written, showing us the realistic truth of life in many communities like this one, the struggles that these teenagers face, there attitudes, the racism and stereotyping of others, it is at times quite disturbing and powerful. Stephanie James, a very new actress on the scene is absolutely outstanding, tackling a very difficult role of a troubled teen, the role requires great control, range and intensity to make it believable and Stephanie does it brilliantly, someone to look out for in the future.

    I highly recommend you see this little gem of a film if you ever see it in your video store, it is not widely known by audiences yet it won so many awards at international film festivals and it deserves every one of them....an excellent film debut that tackles many elements of a community that you can find anywhere in the world, it is realistic, truthful and at times, powerful.
  • September 20, 2008
    very good but kind of brutal
  • February 10, 2008
    Recommended by Scotty
  • February 10, 2008
    life for a single mom and her young kid in the south wales valleys, her brother and friends and dealings with a imigrant living across street, and the racism that comes across, very real looking and acted, with all doing very well, especially the actress playing the mom, a intere...( read more)sting and critical look at life for people not making much money and stress and situations thart arise
  • September 8, 2007
    althought predictable it was very well done all around. there are some very powerful scenes. definitely check it out.
  • September 7, 2007
    A group of young kids try to make the best of their life ,set in a small welsh town,a young girl struggles with her small child while all she really wants is to be out with her friends causing trouble,after accusing the Turkish man across the street for reporting her to the socia...( read more)l things get out of hand with terrible consequences.a harsh look at racism in the world we live in today.
  • August 14, 2007
    Recommended by; Craig; Lisa.
  • August 13, 2007
    I only got to see half of it but I quite enjoyed it. I think i'd need to catch the very beginning to give it a fairer rating though. Still think it's a worth while watch though.

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A Way of Life Trivia


  • My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood; this is my street; this is my life. I am 42 years old; in less than a year I will be dead. Of course I don't know that yet, and in a way, I am dead already.   Answer »
  • In which film does Kevin Costner's character befriend a Native American Tribe,and learns all about their way of life?  Answer »
  • "Those puny little ants outnumber us a 100/1 and if they ever figure that out, the're goes our way of life..."  Answer »
  • An uptight, conservative, businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life. name that movie?  Answer »

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