The Yards

The Yards is a 2000 American crime film directed by James Gray, written by Gray and Matt Reeves, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, Faye Dunaway, Ellen Burstyn and James Caan. Set in the commuter rail yards in New York City ("the yards"), specifically in the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, where contractors repair railway cars for the city Transit Authority (TA), bribery, corporate crime and political corruption are commonplace, as rival companies sabotage each other's work to win bids, and the undercutting leads to murder. Plot Leo Handler visits his mother Val's house in Queens, New York, where she throws a surprise party celebrating his parole. There he meet up with Willie Gutierrez, his cousin Erica Soltz's boyfriend, who thanks him for serving time in prison, implying that Leo had taken a fall for their gang of friends. Leo is eager to find a job to support his mother, as she has a heart condition. Willie suggests working for Erica's stepfather, Frank Olchin. The next day, at the railway car repair company Frank owns, Leo is encouraged to enter a 2-year machinist program and Frank offers to help finance his studies. Needing work immediately, Leo asks about working with Willie for the company but Frank discourages that idea. Willie advises Leo not to worry about it, saying Frank also tried to get him into a machinist program.