Somewhere Out There, A Boy and His Mother Will Find Each Other

One of my favorite movies is An American Tail, the Don Bluth film about a young Russian mouse who becomes separated from his family just before they are about to land at Ellis Island. While they all struggle in this strange new land, they cling to the hope that they will be reunited, a sentiment captured in the duet Somewhere Out There.

I thought of that movie and especially that scene as I watched Under the Same Moon, the Patricia Riggen film about a Mexican boy named Carlos Reyes (Adrian Alonso) who makes his way across the border to Los Angeles to find his mother Rosario (Kate del Castillo), who has been working there for several years. The movie starts with him speaking to her from a payphone, a weekly ritual. Shortly thereafter, his grandmother dies, leaving him alone, and his journey begins.

Alonso is an incredibly expressive young boy, and the pain of Carlos's predicament is reflected in his eyes. His plight is compelling enough that it soon becomes easy to forget the film is in Spanish rather than English. The majority of the movie focuses on him and the various antagonists and allies he encounters in his travels. Mexican-American Marta (America Ferrera) is among the first to offer aid; she is instrumental in getting him across the border but her interaction with him is minimal. The most important relationship he forms on his trip is with Enrique (Eugenio Derbez), a surly illegal immigrant headed for the east coast. Initially, he wants nothing to do with the boy, but gradually they develop a powerful bond that is tested just when Carlos's goal seems within reach.

Del Castillo is almost as affecting as Alonso in her role, and seeing her long for her son and struggle with exploitive employers, we wonder if she wouldn't be happier just going back home. She wonders that too - but doesn't contemplate it until her son is already on his way to her, unbeknownst to her. It's fairly obvious where the story is leading, but there's still room for suspense as she considers going back to Mexico, a move that would make the longed-for reunion that much more unlikely. Her storyline has a slight romantic bent to it as well, as Paco (Gabriel Porras), an honorable gentleman of her acquaintance, is quite obviously smitten with her and she doesn't know quite what to do about it.

Under the Same Moon is a beautifully shot film that explores immigration issues but is mostly a touching story of a mother and son trying to find their way back to one another. Some may find it too schmaltzy or predictable, but for me, it was a gem of a movie. "Even though I know how very far apart we are," the little Mousekewitz crooned, "it helps to know we might be wishing on the same bright star." Or gazing up at the same moon.