Synopsis: An unemployed Maori living in the Auckland slums, Jake Heke has a terrible temper that he takes out on family and strangers alike. His wife, Beth, takes regular beatings after he's been at the pub, and his kids do what they can to sidestep trouble. Nig, the eldest, is joining a street gang; Boogie has been placed in a foster home; and Grace increasingly retreats to the pages of her journal.