White Irish Drinkers is a 2010 indie drama film directed by John Gray. The film is set in the mid-1970s Brooklyn, in a working-class enclave of Irish immigrants. It follows two teenage brothers, Danny and Brian Leary, who live with their abusive father, Patrick, and their well-meaning but powerless mother, Margaret. Danny is a hot-headed and unruly delinquent who enjoys drinking, fighting, and hanging out with his thuggish friends, while Brian is shy, sensitive, and artistic.
Danny dreams of escaping their suffocating life by heading to California with his girlfriend, while Brian secretly desires to attend art school. In order to fund their escape, Danny devises a plan to steal a hefty sum of money from a local gangster. He enlists the help of his friends, including the rebellious neighborhood girl, Kathleen. However, things don't go as planned, and the brothers soon find themselves in hotter water than they imagined.
As tensions rise and the stakes get higher, Brian is torn between his loyalty to his older brother and his desire to pursue his own dreams. Meanwhile, their father's violent and alcoholic behavior only adds to the turmoil of their already unstable family dynamic.
The film features powerful performances from its cast, including Nick Thurston as Danny, Geoffrey Wigdor as Brian, Stephen Lang as Patrick, and Karen Allen as Margaret. The film explores themes of brotherhood, coming of age, family dysfunction, and the pursuit of one's dreams. It also features a soundtrack of classic rock songs from the 70s, including several Rolling Stones tracks.