Angelo Unwritten (2017)

"Angelo Unwritten" tells the story of Angelo, a gifted yet troubled youth, and Laura and Phil, his final set of foster parents, whom he meets after living in several foster homes. For three tumultuous years, from Angelo's 18th through 21st birthdays, they face unforeseen challenges as they start a new chapter in their lives together as a family. For the first time on screen, we get a close-up look at a foster family in all its complexity. Angelo's adolescence sees him both betraying and clinging to his foster parents, while re-acquainting himself with his extended birth relatives who were missing from his childhood. In real time, we see the promise of a loving family with Phil and Laura, his foster parents, nearly implode, and Angelo seems destined to follow the sad path of so many foster youth - to a life on the streets or in a prison cell. But we see them ultimately pull through, in intimate scenes intercut with frank home video, and become a "forever," adoptive family. "Angelo Unwritten" has timely lessons for how we as a society can better serve the most vulnerable among us - children who cannot safely stay with their birth parents - as well as the adults who try their best to care for them.