Ratcatcher plot
James grew up in a working class area of Glasgow in the mid 1970s. The family situation is far from ideal. Everything his father does is a confrontation for James with the future that awaits him. He feels lost at home and spends a lot of time by the canal. Here he shares joys and sorrows with Margaret Anne, a frail and vulnerable teenager, and Kenny, a boy who has not yet lost his innocence despite his harsh environment. As the family's dream of moving to a new home becomes increasingly unattainable, James finds a place of his own.