Directed by Emilio Estevez
Written by Karin Lewicki
Tropes:
- Acquaintance Denial\Malicious Slander: An particularly heart breaking example of this as in order to protect her reputation after she’s caught kissing Colin, Leah lies and claims that he sexually assaulted her, even though she was the one to come onto him. Not only does this outrage her boyfriend and several classmates into beating him up, but her parents as well, who sue him, permanently tainting his record and ensuring he would be locked up once his mother dies, causing Nathan to Mercy Kill him to prevent him from living a miserable life. Years later, Leah is left to deal with the guilt and the realization of what covering her own ass had caused, correctly believing that she helped caused Colin’s death.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Josh was the closest thing to a friend that Colin had after Nathan, but even he was not above abusing Colin, and in fact was even worse about it than the actual bullies, one of whom was clearly disturbed when he caught a glimpse of Josh mistreating Colin (and this was right after the bully had beat up Colin and damaged his toy).
- Bury Your Disabled: The victim is a mentally disabled teenager.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Even though Mac was willing to beat Colin up, it was justified because he thought Colin had attacked his girlfriend. He's disgusted when Colin's "friend" Josh attacks him right after, and spits in Colin's face that he is a burden and he should die.
- False Rape Accusation: Colin never assaulted Leah. She gave him permission to kiss her. But when her boyfriend caught them in the act, Leah lied and said Colin forced himself on her to save her reputation.
- Jerkass: There are a lot of characters who act like this towards Colin.
- Colin's dad, Richard, who abandoned his son because he was ashamed of his mental incapability, and wouldn't take him in after the boy's mom died of cancer even though she had begged him to.
- Leah's boyfriend, Mac, who tried to beat him to a pulp. Justified as Leah told him Colin sexually assaulted her, but it's implied that he’s still a jerk to everyone.
- Colin's "friend" Josh, who beat him up and told him he should die right after Mac threatened him.
- Kick the Dog: Colin's mom was already worried what would happen to him when she died. Leah's accusation and her parents' lawsuit on his record was the kiss of death for Colin.
- Mercy Kill: What Nathan was doing. Knowing that Colin would suffer in the system as a mentally disabled adult who was thought to be dangerous, he lured Colin onto the train tracks at night and tricked him into standing there, watching sadly as Colin was run over by a train.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Leah is wracked with guilt that she might have caused Colin's death with her lie. The worst part is, she did.
- Parental Abandonment: Colin's dad wanted nothing to do with him, ashamed of his lower mental development.
- Smug Snake: Leah's father. While his anger towards Colin is understandable, seeing as he thinks the boy assaulted his daughter, heaping the burden onto a Struggling Single Mother dying of cancer with a smile and a smart remark is just cruel.
- Struggling Single Mother: Colin's mom, dealing with a mentally-underdeveloped teen son after the boy's dad decided he wanted nothing to do with him. It only got worse when she got cancer.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Leah's False Rape Accusation sealed Colin's doom. Since he was already a mentally-underdeveloped young adult, the idea that he was a dangerous predator meant he would end up in an asylum at best after his mom died and would be at the mercy of Social Services. Knowing that Colin would suffer with the accusation on his record, Nathan tricked Colin into standing on the train tracks and let him be run over, so he could die happy instead of living a long, lonely and painful life in the system. If Leah hadn't lied, Colin might have had a better chance. Years later, she realizes her mistake and is guilt-ridden that her realization came far too late for Colin.
