"Explicit Ills" is a movie about people trying to survive in the hard-scrabble sections of Philadelphia. Its director, Mark Webber, makes no bones about the fact that "Ills" is meant to raise awareness of being poor, wrestling with drug addiction, and trying to get adequate health care.

Webber, born in Minneapolis, is a survivor, with his mom, of homelessness and crushing poverty. The Twin Cities premiere Saturday of "Explicit Ills" is timed to the upcoming Republican National Convention. Webber and his mother, Cheri Honkala, are organizers with the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, which makes its presence known in the movie.

So is "Explicit Ills" propaganda? Could be, but this doesn't take away from the fact that it is a compelling, well acted, beautifully directed drama that doesn't demonize anyone. The "ills" of the title are larger institutions, and are never personified. In fact, in one scene, one of the many young actors complains about gentrification.

"I hate yuppies," he grouses.

"You shouldn't hate anyone," his girlfriend counters, and it is to Webber's considerable credit, both as a man seeking to get a point across and a survivor himself, that he follows this golden rule.

The plot is as elusive as it is in Robert Altman's larger works, such as "Nashville" and "Short Cuts." Webber casts a wide net, focusing on a group of characters that at first appears disparate, but whose lives all intertwine in the great urban ecosystem.

We have Heslin (Ross K. Kim-McManus), a kid hoping to bulk up and compete in an international weightlifting competition; his folks, trying to raise the money for a health-food store; a drug dealer and his user girlfriend; Demitri (Martin Cepeda), a young punk who wants to be a player but ends up sweetly courting his girl; a moody actor in crisis (Paul Dano); and, most interesting, the boy Babo (Francisco Burgos) and his mom (Rosario Dawson), who struggle with Babo's asthma and the health care system.

The film is beautiful. Webber has a great eye for south Philadelphia, and the details of life in the city are not only spot-on, but vibrant. Often, the film is almost too pretty, and the brilliant first half gives way to a preachy second half, where nearly every minor conflict is resolved. It would help, too, if his adult characters weren't all such gorgeous people. Additionally, the plot could have been winnowed down a bit -- he has so many subplots going that he doesn't even have time to give Babo's mother a name.

No matter: "Explicit Ills" is something that not just Republicans, but Democrats, Independents and people who love a good movie should see. It's the best reflection of inner city life, and its effect on children, since Charles Burnett's 1977 drama "Killer of Sheep."