出身于社会的底层，母亲吸毒，酗酒，父亲懒惰，万事不管，Liz会成长为什么样？如父母一般过着毫无尊严的生活还是努力摆脱身上的枷锁，自己走出一条路？
看到这个故事我是为Liz深深感到悲哀的？但也为她的觉醒而欣喜。当每天看到的都是社会阴暗和小人物的悲苦，每天在痛苦中挣扎，人是很容易被同化的，尤其是一个从来没有了解过社会的其他面的孩子。
Liz一直希望得到母亲的照顾，不愿意离开母亲，即使是过着流浪的生活，还是舍不得这一点温暖。当母亲去世了，她才真正认识到自己是一个无家可归的（homeless）人，未来何去何从？
她回到了学校，她对未来有了期待，她抓住了机会，在学校里她比任何人都要努力，拼尽全力吸收着自己需要的知识，她想看看当她拼尽全力时会发生什么。
最终她两年修完了四年的高中课程，以优异的成绩进去了哈佛，获得了报社的工作。她成功地跨过了她的阶级，看到了不一样的世界。
回顾Liz的生活，她人生的转折点就在母亲去世后，这时的她开始接纳自己的状态，开始思考自己的未来，并做出选择，快速行动。在这里她看到了不一样的世界，不一样的人，她努力地抓住这个世界，命运给了她不好的起点，但同样给了她向上的希望，她靠自己的坚持，最终走出了自己不一样的人生。
决定人生的往往就是转折处的那一小步，迈好了，坚持下去，一定收获不一样的人生。
影片经典台词赏析：
1. I'd give it back, all of it, if I could have my family back.
如果可能，我愿意放弃我所有的一切，来换取我家庭的完整。
2. I will use my every potential to do that. I just always knew that I need to get out. I have to do it. I have no choice.
如果我不顾一切发挥每一点潜能去做会怎样？ 我必须做到，我别无选择。
3. Now I can lay it out and burn it done, put it in the rest, then I can go on
放下负担，让它过去，这样才能继续前进。
4. I could push myself and make my life good.
我可以推自己一把， 让我的生活变好。
5. The world moves you just suspect. it could no happen without you.
你会怀疑地球是否在转动，即使你不在也照样如此。
6. Don't close your eyes, rise again after you fall, you need to get out.
请不要闭眼，机会就在下一秒出现。残酷的现实面前你应勇往直前。
7. you were the most interesting thing in my world. everyone around was just talking about drugs or sex or you know, just trying to survive the day.
你是我的世界里最有趣的事情，其他人都是谈论毒品、 性，尽量撑过每一天
8. Sometimes I feel like there is skin upon the world. And those of us who are born under it, can see threw it. We just can't get through it.
有时候我觉得世界外有一层外壳，我们所有人都生在这层外壳之下，你能从外壳里看到外面，但是你却出不去。
9. I think people just get frustrated without harsh, life can be. So they're spending their time dwelling on that frustration we calling it anger. keep their eyes shut to the wholeness of the situation.
我觉得有些人只对生活的艰苦灰心丧气，因此把时间都浪费在灰心丧气里，我们称之为愤怒，对事物的整体视而不见，对于所有能够成功的微小元素视而不见。
10. The world is changing while you're just a stardust. The earth turns around with or without you. Reality doesn't change according to your will.
世界在转动，你只是一粒尘埃，没有你地球照样在转。现实是不会按照你的意志去改变的，因为别人的意志会比你的更强。
11. Keep their eyes shut to the wholeness of the situation. All those tinny things that have come together to make it, what it is.
生活的残酷会让人不知所措，于是有人终日沉浸在彷徨迷茫之中，不愿睁大双眼去看清形势，不愿去想是哪些细小的因素累积在一起造成了这种局面。
12. I knew at that moment I had to make a choice. I could submit to everything that was happening and live a life of excuses… or I could push myself. I could push myself and make my life good.
就在那一刻，我明白了，我得做出选择。我可以为自己寻找各种借口对生活低头，也可以迫使自己更好地生活。
13. I was 15 when I went out in the world. What's a home anyway? A roof? A bed? A place where when you go there, they have to take you? If so, then I was 15 when I became homeless.
什么是家？一个屋顶？ 床？必须接纳你的地方？如果那样的话，15岁我开始无家可归。
14. I got chance to see how all the little tiny things come together to make the final product. So I was never inclined to wonder why this or why that. I knew why我有幸看到所有的微小事物是如何聚集在一起，最终形成产物的，所以我从来不问为什么这样，为什么那样，因为我知道为什么。
15. I feel that I got lucky because any sense of security was polled out from me, so I was forced to look forward, I had to, and was no going back. And I reach the point, where I just thought, “All right, I'd got to work as hard as I possibly can , and see what happens”.
我觉得我自己很幸运，因为对我来说从来就没有任何安全感，于是我只能被迫向前走，我必须这样做。世上没有回头路，当我意识到这点我就想，那么好吧，我要尽我的所能努力奋斗，看看究竟会怎样。
16. I'm smart. I know I can succeed. I just need a chance. A chance to climb out of this place I've born in. Everyone I know are angry and tired. They're trying to survive. But I know that there is a world out there that is better, that's better developed. And I want to live in it.
我真的很聪明，我会成功的，我只是需要机会而已，是的，是这样的，我需要机会脱离我出生的环境，我认识的人全都充满了怨气，他们活着只是为了生存，但是我相信有比那更好的地方，那里更发达，我要活在那种地方，就是这样。
17. Did you ever feel sorry for yourself? That had always been my life and I really——I feel that I got lucky, because any sensive security was pulled out so I was forced to look forward. I had to… there was no going back and I reached a point where I just thought, “oh I'm gonna work as hard as I possibly can and see what happens” and now I'm going to college. and the NYT is going to pay.
我为什么要觉得可怜，这就是我的生活。我甚至要感谢它，它让我在任何情况下都必须往前走。我没有退路，我只能不停地努力向前走。
18. Everything's changed, my life will never be the same.
所有的事情都改变了，我的生命不会再如以前了。