In the scene between Mickey and his Mom, after Dicky returns from jail, he says something to his Mom about her having two sons. This occurs while at the gym, standing in the boxing ring. She always puts Dicky on a pedestal yet he is the drug addict loser in the film. This moment in the film is its turning point for Mickey yet I felt barely anything for him.
We, the audience should have been crying our eyes out to feel the reveal of Micky's pain and confession to his mother about his feelings. HE is the good son who deserves his mother's love.
After this moment, Micky's life starts to come together.