承受着家庭的千疮百孔，母亲酗酒吸毒，并且患有了精神分裂症。在15岁时母亲死于艾滋病。父亲进入收容所。贫穷的丽斯需要出去乞讨，和一些朋友流浪在城市的角落，生活的苦难似乎无穷无尽。 随着慢慢成长，丽斯知道，只有读书成才方能改变自身命运，走出泥潭般的现况。
她用最真诚的态度感动了高中的校长，争取到了读书的机会。然后，丽斯在漫漫的求学路上开始了征程。她一边打工一边上学，用两年时间学
完了高中四年的课程。她尝试申请各类奖学金，只有纽约时报的全额奖学金才能让她念完大学，于是她努力并申请到了这份奖学金。影片的最
后，她迈着自信的脚步走进了哈佛的学堂。贫困并没有止住丽兹前进的决心，在她的人生里面，勇往直前的奋斗是永恒主题。
I feel that I got lucky because any sense of security was polled out from me, so I was forced to look forward, I had to, and was no going back. And I reach the point, where I just thought, "All right, I'd got to work as hard as I possiblly can, and see what happens".
我觉得我自己很幸运，因为对我来说从来就没有任何安全感，于是我
只能被迫向前走，我必须这样做。世上没有回头路，当我意识到这点我
就想，那么好吧，我要尽我的所能努力奋斗，看看究竟会怎样。
I was 15 when I went out in the world. What's a home anyway? A roof? A bed? A place where when you go there, they have to take you? If so, then I was 15 when I became homeless.
什么是家?一个屋顶? 床?必须接纳你的地方?如果那样的话，15岁
我开始无家可归。
Keep their eyes shut to the wholeness of the situation. All those tinny things that have come together to make it, what it is.
生活的残酷会让人不知所措，于是有人终日沉浸在彷徨迷茫之中，不愿
睁大双眼去看清形势，不愿去想是哪些细小的因素累积在一起造成了这
种局面。
Because I was turned so inward by mom and dad, I got chance to see how all the little tiny things come together to make the final product. So I was never inclined to wonder why this or why that. I knew why. Not that I was happy about it, in fact I was really sad about it, some of the time. but I was very excepting, I was very excepting. I just always knew that I need to get out.
因为我的父母我变得内向，我有幸看到所有的微小事务是如何聚集在一
起最终形成产物的，所以我从来不问为什么这样，为什么那样。我知道
为什么，这样并不能让我高兴，很多时候倒让我觉得很难过，但是我总
是勇于接受，我总是勇于接受事实，我知道我总想离开我的环境。
Sometimes I feel like there is skin upon the world. And those of us who are born under it, can see threw it. We just can't get threw it.
有时候我觉得世界外有一层外壳，我们所有人都生在这层外壳之下，你
能从外壳里看到外面，但是你却出不去。
I'm smart. I know I can succeed. I just need a chance. A chance to climb out of this place I've born in. Everyone I know are angry and tired. They're trying to survive. But I know that there is a world out there that is better, that's better developed. And I want to live in it.
我真的很聪明，我会成功的，我只是需要机会而已，是的，是这样
的，我需要机会脱离我出生的环境，我认识的人全都充满了怨气，他们
活着只是为了生存，但是我相信有比那更好的地方，那里更发达，我要
活在那种地方，就是这样。
The world is changing while you're just a stardust. The earth turns arround with or without you. Reality doesn't change according to your will.
世界在转动，你只是一粒尘埃，没有你地球照样在转。现实是不会按
照你的意志去改变的，因为别人的意志会比你的更强。
I'd give it back, all of it, if I could have my family back.
如果可能,我愿意放弃我所有的一切,来换取我家庭的完整。
The world moves you just suspect. It could no happen without you. Situations are not conduced to what you want for yourself. Someone else's needs, someone else's plate is going to be stronger than yours is.
你会怀疑地球是否在转动，即使你不在也照样如此，情况不能像你希望
的一样，有些人的需求，有些人的信念会比你的更强烈。
Don't close your eyes, rise again after you fall, you need to get out.
请不要闭眼，机会就在下一秒出现。残酷的现实面前你应勇往直前。
