Izzy is a troubled 11-year-old boy whose home life drives him into acts of quiet, lonely desperation. When his father, paralyzed after suffering a stroke, comes home to live in the already-cramped apartment Izzy shares with his English-teacher mom (Mary-Louise Parker, BOYS ON THE SIDE,... [More]

Izzy is a troubled 11-year-old boy whose home life drives him into acts of quiet, lonely desperation. When his father, paralyzed after suffering a stroke, comes home to live in the already-cramped apartment Izzy shares with his English-teacher mom (Mary-Louise Parker, BOYS ON THE SIDE, ROMANCE & CIGARETTES) and two siblings, he begins to spend much of his time roaming the Manhattan streets. His favorite pastime is breaking into apartments when the occupants are away, but the "thief" of the title is somewhat misleading, as Izzy rarely steals anything of much importance. Instead, he rearranges the furniture, eats the food in the refrigerator, and engages in small acts of vandalism. As the threat of unemployment and the lack of medical coverage begins to overwhelm his mother, Izzy's involvement with older, rebellious neighborhood kids lures him deeper into a life of crime. [Less]