Curly Sue 1991

Bill Dancer, Jim Belushi and his young ward Curly Sue, Alisan Porter, are homeless but kind-hearted con artists who scrape by on small scams just to eat. Their makeshift life is turned upside down when Sue’s late mother’s tin ring is stolen by a drifter, Ralph Foody, setting off a chain of fragile choices and fragile loyalties.

After leaving Detroit for Chicago, they target a wealthy divorce lawyer, Grey Ellison, Kelly Lynch, hoping to exploit a near-accident that would give them a chance to land a warm place to crash. The plan works more than they expect when Grey accidentally collides with Bill the next night; she chooses to help them by offering a place to stay, despite her snobbish boyfriend, Walker McCormick, John Getz. A tense confrontation reveals the con, and Bill admits the truth, shortening Grey’s moral tug-of-war to a single question: can mercy outpace need? Grey’s compassion overrides fear, and she decides to shelter the duo, recognizing the precarious position Sue is in and moving to protect them.

Walker’s spiteful impulse drives him to report the pair, and Sue is taken into state care while Bill is arrested for lacking custody. Behind bars, Bill tracks down the drifter again, forcing him to reveal where the stolen ring ended up. Grey arrives at the jail to secure Bill’s release and to help rescue Sue from state care once more. The truth about the ring’s fate eventually comes to light: it was pawned and sold, and Bill buys it back, offering a tangible sign of his commitment.

Back at their apartment, the recovered ring becomes a moment of realization for Sue: she reads it as a signal that Bill may be ready to move forward, even if that means redefining their unconventional family. But the ring also carries a note that hints Bill is still nearby—in the living room—one more whisper of hope amid uncertainty. In the end, Grey and Bill take a formal step, legally adopting Sue and, soon after, sealing their bond with marriage. The story closes on a quiet, hopeful note as the family drops Sue off on her first day of school, stepping into a new chapter together.