 Set in 1980s Manhattan, the plot revolves around the intimate relationship developing between Tony, a teenage boy from Little Italy, and Tye, a teenage girl from Chinatown, while both of their older brothers become engrossed in a heated gang war against each other.It also bears some similarities to the 1957 musical "West Side Story", which similarly is an adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" set among rival ethnic gangs in Manhattan, and also features a male protagonist named Tony.The film was released theatrically on September 25, 1987 in 193 theaters and grossed $531,362 its opening weekend.