- Chronicles a family's hopeful battle to stay together as personal demons and destructive secrets threaten to rip them apart.
- Elaine and Ed Kendall have more than their share of grief and suffering. Once a young couple in love they now struggle for a sense of stability in their Staten Island, NY home. Their eldest son is suffering from the physical and psychological effect of war; his younger brother takes it upon himself to bring him peace and relief. Meanwhile, their special needs daughter brings another kind of chaos to the family. Even though Ed and Elaine explore options for her care, they're really just hanging on to hope that things improve somehow. BAD HURT is based on a true story.
- On Staten Island shortly before Christmas 1999, Todd is driving a small bus for Metrobus. He lets out an elderly passenger who is going the wrong way. Todd turns him around.
Todd is also a reserve police officer who is hoping to go to the Academy.
Todd returns home where he is confronted by a cranky elderly neighbor, Mrs. Salisbury, who is threatening to call the cops on troublemakers. She also points out Todd parks in her driveway, not his. Todd nicely tells her to leave his family's property.
Todd goes inside. He lives with his father Ed, a Vietnam vet, and his mother Elaine who is devoted to caring for two disabled children. DeeDee has been mentally challenged from childhood and takes medication but still has episodes. Kent served in Iraq and behaves similarly to DeeDee. He needs medication for pain and has a rash. Kent also smokes cigarettes. The Veterans Administration has not provided the help he needs.
Todd goes out to his bus and sees Willy, who is a lot like DeeDee. He tells Willy to keep his hands off her. Later, Willy is invited inside where he behaves strangely. For one thing, he dances whenever he hears an alarm.
Todd goes to a bar. The bartender asks him about Kent, who hasn't been there lately. He also says it's a shame Kent didn't make the pros because he was so good at baseball. He asks Todd why he didn't play and Todd says he did. Also in the bar is Jessie, a pretty young woman who the bartender suspects is new in town. She is looking for a job. While there is nothing there, the bartender gives her a drink on the house and promises to help her if he can.
From time to time Ed is shown working on an aquarium. Sometimes DeeDee is with him. When it is finished he wants to put piranha in it, but he is told individuals aren't allowed to own them so he gets other fish. Ed sleeps in a building outside.
Willy and DeeDee go to work at a box factory. They like each other and take an unauthorized break. Factory employees are shocked by what they see. Elaine is called in and DeeDee's superiors tell Elaine that DeeDee can't work there any more. As she is leaving, DeeDee attacks her immediate supervisor, who is later shown with a neck brace.
Kent desperately searches for something in his house, in the way an addict would.
One morning Todd asks his Ed top tell him the story of his service in Vietnam. Ed refuses, and goes on to indicate his disappointment in Todd. Todd didn't serve but claims he wasn't qualified. he also says he is almost ready for the police academy.
Todd picks up passengers in his bus, including Jessie. Being new to town, she didn't understand she was supposed to get on a larger bus but Todd is happy to take her where she needs to go. Then he stops the bus when he sees Kent with a dealer. Kent is trying to trade his Silver Star for drugs. Todd gets rid of the dealer and drags Kent onto the bus. It takes a while for Kent to calm down, and Jessie asks to leave the bus.
When DeeDee has one of her episodes, she is calmed down by a routine where she says the names John Kennedy and Joe DiMaggio. They are with Jesus now, which comforts her.
Ed wants to put DeeDee in an institution but Elaine refuses. He says DeeDee has failed in three different programs. Ed later goes to tour a nice facility by himself, and Elaine get angry when she finds out.
Ed tells Kent the story of his Vietnam experience. Ed was the only survivor of his unit when their location was bombed because he was in a different place. Kent always enjoys hearing the story.
Kent is having a hard time and Elaine calls his doctor, who refuses to do anything. Elaine takes him to the hospital where he is given Demerol, and that helps.
Unaware of what Elaine and Kent did, Todd goes to the bar and meets with the dealer, who gives him something in exchange for a lot of money. Todd returns home and goes to Kent's room and says he has what Kent needs.
Elaine and DeeDee return home from shopping. DeeDee is asked to bring Kent his cigarettes, and she is reluctant but finally does it. She looks at Kent strangely,
When she is being put to bed, DeeDee goes through the routine where she says the names John and Robert Kennedy. She says Kent is mowing lawns for Jesus. This can only mean one thing.
At the funeral home, Ed puts a dress blue uniform on Kent.
At the cemetery, there is a service attended by a few people with a priest officiating. Elaine gets upset when she sees another person who served getting a proper service, with a rifle team firing. She demands the same for her son and the marine in charge asks Ed to control his wife. Elaine who stays around after everyone else leaves. One member of the team offers to fire his rifle for Kent, and will even do it twenty-one times if she wants. Elaine is grateful.
Back at home, Elaine turns on a radio to play Christmas music. Then she goes in a room and screams.
As the family is struggling and arguing, DeeDee has a really bad episode and has to be given a shot. Willy shows up and misbehaves until Elaine gets DeeDee to come out ride somewhere with them. DeeDee is not awake but she rides along anyway, and Elaine stops at a fast food place where a very friendly Jessie takes her order. A car alarm goes off and Willy starts dancing. Jessie is not bothered by his behavior and she invites the family to a Christmas dance.
Meanwhile, Ed has taken off. Todd was asked to go find him. Ed is at the baseball field where Kent once played and he and Todd eventually have a nice conversation. Ed has to admit he was at fault for what happened to his unit. He was at the radar station but didn't take action that would have saved the others. Ed gets very upset when Todd tries to tell him Kent didn't get what a veteran deserved because he was dishonorably discharged. He refuses to believe Kent did anything wrong.
On Christmas Day, Willy shows up all dressed up. The family has what starts out to be a nice dinner but DeeDee and Willy eventually cause problems. Elaine is considering letting DeeDee be put in an institution.
The aquarium is ready, and new fish are put in it.
Later, the family goes to the dance, which is at the box factory. There is loud 50s music. The supervisor who DeeDee attacked says the family was told they are not allowed there and asks security to remove them. Ed refuses to let that happen and gets in a tussle, but when slow dance music starts, DeeDee and Willy are dancing and look very happy. The family is allowed to stay.
Todd sees Jessie and introduces her young daughter Annie, and they are happy to meet each other.
The music gets loud again and everyone is enjoying themselves.
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