Paper Soldiers (2002): Cast & Plot

At his mother’s funeral, Shawn tries to keep it together beside his girlfriend Monique and their young son, all while juggling the pressures of a shaky parole. His job at a beeper shop barely pays the bills, and the nagging fear of utilities being shut off gnaws at him. A long-time friend, Burtie, pitches a tempting but dangerous shortcut: burglary. Shawn’s parole officer makes a blunt demand—his next urine test must be clean and he must keep his job—and, weighed down by money troubles, Shawn reluctantly dips a toe into Burtie’s world. What starts as a quick, cash-heavy fix soon becomes a dangerous habit, and the thrill of bigger sums threatens to drown out every ounce of caution.