I grew up in the south & had quite a few relatives whos families were exactly like this. The struggles are true to life & I have actually seen the bathroom scene where his mom was injecting heroin play out in real life. The struggles of the children were identical to ones I have witnessed in my own extended family. I lived in Appalachia on the NC /Tennessee line for 20 yrs where my husband was a teacher. These struggles are real. Excellent movie!