A Better Life (2011)

A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.

Director:

Chris Weitz

Writers:

Eric Eason (screenplay), Roger L. Simon (story)

Stars:

Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie 'Piolin' Sotelo

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Demián Bichir	...	Carlos Galindo
Eddie 'Piolin' Sotelo	...	Himself
Joaquín Cosio	...	Blasco Martinez
José Julián	...	Luis Galindo
Nancy Lenehan	...	Mrs. Donnely
Gabriel Chavarria	...	Ramon
Bobby Soto	...	Facundo
Chelsea Rendon	...	Ruthie Valdez
Trampas Thompson	...	School Security Officer
Tim Griffin	...	Juvie Officer
Valorie Hubbard	...	School Secretary
Dolores Heredia	...	Anita
Isabella Rae Thomas	...	Linda
Carlos Linares	...	Santiago
Robert Peters	...	Truck Driver

Storyline

Carlos Galindo is a decent man, a Mexican single parent working as a gardener in California to raise Luis,his fourteen-year-old son,whom Carlos is frightened will drift into local gang culture. Carlos buys a truck for his work with money loaned by his sister but a shifty new employee steals it from him and,though Carlos and Luis track the thief down,he has sold the truck. Father and son bond as they reclaim the vehicle from the pound but Carlos attracts police attention,making his future in America uncertain when it is discovered that he is an illegal immigrant.

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Plot Keywords:

Gardener | Gang | Truck | Immigration | Money | 

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Taglines:

Every father wants more for his son

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, language and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 July 2011 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

The Gardener

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$62,087 (USA) (24 June 2011)

Gross:

$1,754,319 (USA) (26 August 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Lime Orchard Productions, Witt/Thomas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Chris Weitz liked to do all the dangerous scenes in the script before he asked his cast to perform them. A stunt double taught Weitz and Demián Bichir how to climb a palm tree, and although Weitz was first to successfully climb one, Bichir did go on to film all the scenes himself, without a stunt double. Weitz told the audience at a SAG Screening: "That is why in my films there are not many scenes that require stunt doubles".

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Goofs

At 21:10, the size and shape of the bread that Santiago is giving to Carlos Galindo is different from different angles.

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Quotes

Carlos Galindo: This country is a land of dreams. It can be a hard place, a cruel place. But it's where I work, and I dream of a better place for my son.

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.23 (2011)
clips are shown as Christy and Ignatiy review the film

User Reviews

Hope When All Is Lost

Film Critic from BW Times. I was able to catch an advance screening of this film the other night and what a pleasure it was to experience. From the trailer, I pretty much felt like it was another one of those pessimistic man vs. the world stories, but stood corrected after realizing the depth and strength of such a wondrous story. Emphasizing one of the most pressing issues we have been facing, immigration, A Better Life not only captures the difficulty of the life of an immigrant but also the substantial bond between father and son. Powerful performances by both the main characters played by Demian Bichir and Jose Julian had so much chemistry that majestically captured a sincere sense of realism. The climactic scene between them near the end should be enough to get them Academy nominations. Another crucial figure that Director Christ Weitz executed nicely was the appearance of East and Lower areas of LA. I invited a friend who grew up in such area and he claimed that it was a true depiction; so much so that it brought back memories of his childhood! A Better Life is a complete recipe of amazing film-making, great storyline, and outstanding performances. It is not trying to be predictable or unpredictable, it knocks the audiences into life's difficulties by evoking aspects within our society. A must see cinematic adventure that will make you feel human.