Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
Drama

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003): Cast & Plot

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003) movie poster

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story is a 2003 drama directed by Peter Levin, starring Thora Birch as Liz Murray, Kelly Lynch and Liz Murray. It runs 1 hour 44 minutes.

Loading streaming availability…
Read the plot summary
Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 44m (104 min)
Director
Peter Levin
Genre
Drama
Original language
English
Studio
Barnet Bain Films
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story About?

The premise of Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Facing a world where hope seemed absent, Liz Murray turns inward and trusts herself. Based on a true story, she grows up with loving yet drug‑addicted parents. At fifteen she is forced onto the streets, and after a devastating family tragedy she resolves to complete her education, fighting to graduate high school despite homelessness.

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story Themes & Keywords

· 46 tags
  • family relationships
  • homeless teenager
  • executive produced by subject
  • 1990s
  • new york city
  • grandfather
  • lifetime movie
  • sister
  • living on the street
  • best friend
  • college scholarship
  • girl runs away
+34 more
  • new york times
  • roof top
  • high school
  • social worker
  • time jump
  • self reliance
  • motivational
  • broken home
  • the new york times
  • drug dealer
  • mud fight
  • school
  • strong female lead
  • strong female character
  • aids
  • vomiting
  • university
  • education
  • drug addict
  • blindness
  • syringe
  • talking to the camera
  • professor
  • coffin
  • alcoholic
  • cemetery
  • female protagonist
  • crying
  • bar
  • mother daughter relationship
  • voice over narration
  • death of mother
  • based on true story
  • character name in title
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story Cast & Characters

Thora Birch leads the cast as Liz Murray, with Kelly Lynch as Jean Murray and Liz Murray as Social Worker (uncredited). Directed by Peter Levin; 37 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

· 33 more
Show all 37 cast members
From the director

More from Peter Levin

More films directed by Peter Levin: Queen Sized, A Perfect Day, In from the Night and And Never Let Her Go.

Full filmography
Plot

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story Plot Summary

What happens in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Liz Murray is one of two daughters in an extremely dysfunctional Bronx family. Her father watches Jeopardy! and seems to know all the questions, and their bathtub never drains, forcing her to shower while standing on an overturned bucket to avoid the fetid water.

In her early years, Lisa is her sister, and their drug-addicted, schizophrenic mother Jean Murray has AIDS and is nearly blind, while their father Peter Finnerty is also a drug addict who is intelligent but socially awkward and living with AIDS. Liz is removed from the home and placed into the care system because her father cannot take care of her.

Full summary

The whole story of Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which university does Liz earn a scholarship to attend?
Cars

Cars in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

7 cars on screen, including the Caterpillar 426 and the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice.

All 7 cars
  • Caterpillar 426 in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story Caterpillar 426 Minor role
  • 1991 Chevrolet Caprice in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
  • 2001 Dodge Caravan in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story 2001 Dodge Caravan Minor role
  • 1981 Dodge Diplomat in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story 1981 Dodge Diplomat Minor role
Details

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story Also Known As

12 alternative titles, including “노숙자에서 하버드로: 리즈 머레이 이야기” and “风雨哈佛路”.

Also known as
  • 노숙자에서 하버드로: 리즈 머레이 이야기
  • 风雨哈佛路
  • מהרחוב להארוורד
  • Pour une vie meilleure
  • Гарвардский бомж
  • Abbandonata dal destino
  • Гарвардська безпритульна: Історія Ліз Мюррей
  • Una indigente en Harvard
  • 風雨哈佛路
  • خارۋاردقا ئۆتكەن كۈلقىز
  • Da Rua Para a Universidade
  • 홈리스 투 하버드 - 더 리즈 머리 스토리

Seen Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story?
More like this

Movies Like Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Homecoming, Our House and Homeless Ashes.

FAQ

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story?

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story runs 1 hour 44 minutes (104 minutes).

When was Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story released?

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story was released on April 7, 2003.

Who directed Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story?

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story was directed by Peter Levin.

More films by Peter Levin

Who is in the cast of Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story?

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story stars Thora Birch as Liz Murray, Kelly Lynch as Jean Murray and Liz Murray as Social Worker (uncredited), among 37 credited actors.

Does Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story have a post-credit scene?

No. Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story has no extra scene during or after the credits.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app