Mary-Louise Parker fights for son in 'Jamesy Boy' clip

In the upcoming indie prison drama Jamesy Boy, Mary-Louise Parker plays a mother who is unable to prevent her child from falling through the cracks of the system into a life of crime -- but that doesn't mean she doesn't try.

Based on the true story of troubled teen James Burns, Trevor White's directorial debut follows James -- newcomer Spencer Lofranco -- a teen who first ends up in a street gang, and then in maximum-security prison. There, he meets, and is mentored by a convicted murderer (Ving Rhames), who helps him survive.

In this clip, a public school admissions officer tells Tracey (Parker) her son is not fit to come to their school, and may be, in fact, a danger to the other students. While Tracey struggles to be heard, James watches as a door to a normal life is closed to him, pushing him further into a place where his only choices may be bad ones.

Jamesy Boy will be released on demand on January 3 and hit theaters January 17.