The Tender

Bobby Allen, a recovering alcoholic, has always been on the losing end of life. Now, with no money and no prospects, his wife dead of a drug overdose and his ten-year-old daughter The Tender to raise, Bobby is at the end of his rope. Desperate for money, he visits his mobster brother-in-law, Cissy. As Bobby presents his business proposition to Cissy, gamblers in the mansion's basement place heavy bets on the upcoming dogfight involving The Brute - a fearless Doberman. Bobby and The Brute both fail in their quest and The Brute's owner dumps the dying dog in an industrial section of Chicago. But Bobby's daughter finds the dog and nurses it back to health. A strong, spiritual bond forms between them. Meanwhile, a series of disastrous events forces Bobby to flee cross-country to Los Angles with The Tender.