A gripping coming-of-age drama, "Black Irish," a pejorative describing Irish people from hardscrabble backgrounds - chronicles the trials and tribulations of 15-year-old Cole McKay (Michael Angarano), an obedient son who yearns for the attentions of his emotionally remote father (Brendan Gleeson). Cole is by turns nurtured and abandoned by the rest of his family; his unwed and pregnant sister Kathleen (Emily VanCamp), troubled older brother Jack (Tom Guiry), and rigid and religious mother Margaret (Melissa Leo). The tale unfolds in a skillful interweaving of character arcs that builds towards a heart-wrenching climax.