Alpha Dog: Tough movie, powerful message

This summer, our family is doing the online movie rental thing. It's great to have movies for the kids to watch, but it's also a great way to expand my personal viewing. Strange how I end up getting some movies online that I would NEVER rent (or spend money on) at the store.

One such flick is Alpha Dog. Alpha Dog is a disturbing portrait of group think gone haywire. Here's IMDB's plot summary:

1999, Claremont, California. Middle-class kids, in their 20s, talk trash, wave guns, hang out in a pack. Johnny Truelove, drug dealer and son of a underworld figure, threatens Jake Mazursky, an explosive head case who owes Johnny money; Jake responds by breaking into Johnny's house. On impulse, Johnny and a couple pals kidnap Jake's 15-year-old brother, Zach. Zach's okay with it, figuring his brother will pay the debt soon. Johnny assigns his buddy Frankie to be Zach's minder, and they develop a brotherly friendship. Zach parties with his captors as things begin to spin out of control. Group think, amorality, and fear of prison assert a hold on the pack. Is Zach in trouble?

Before you watch it, understand that it's very messy... The language is terrible, and drug use is everywhere. But, it also hold a powerful message. Beware of the choices you make. Those choices define you. Little decisions can change the course of your life. It also points to the power our friends have over us... We need to learn to stand up for good - even in the face of our friends. It also has something to say about listening to that little voice that says, "Turn around. Stop. Change this behavior." Each character was presented with an out...but none took the chance. Powerful stuff. ...based on a true story too... Sad.