George is a man whose struggle to find food and a place to sleep in New York City is beautifully captured with remarkable realism and heartrending compassion. Shuffled into the unforgiving bureaucracy of a men's shelter, George seems destined to wind up as just another lost soul swallowed up by the system, until he meets a gregarious, down-and-out ex-jazzman who inspires George to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

Q, Raheem, Bishop and Steel are four Harlem friends who spend their days hanging out and looking for a way to get the power and respect they call Juice. Q hopes to earn respect by becoming a scratch "n" mix DJ. Bishop has a deadlier plan. He wants to take it through an armed robbery. And he wants his crew to be with him.

Tony is a young man living in Brooklyn. The highlight of his week is going to the local disco, where he is the king of the dancefloor. At the disco, Tony meets Stephanie and they agree to dance together in a competition. Stephanie resists Tony's attempts to romance her, as she aspires to greater things. Her goal is to move across the river to Manhattan. Gradually, Tony also becomes disillusioned with the life he is leading and he and Stephanie decide...