One of the best things about the Oscars is that a film or performance previously overlooked while in the theaters, suddenly demands our attention. A Better Life is one such film. Mexican actor Demián Bichir has been nominated in the best actor category, placing him in competition with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, and Jean Dujardin. He’s a long shot to win, but the nomination should put him on everyone’s radar.
A Better Life was directed by Chris Weitz, whose past films include American Pie, New Moon, part of the Twilight series, and The Golden Compass. With A Better Life Weitz displays considerable talent for bringing a more serious, emotional story to the screen. We hope he continues to seek out material this rich.
Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, an illegal immigrant, whose wife abandoned him and their son shortly after they came to America. The son, Luis (José Julián) now a teen and a U.S. Citizen, is embarrassed by his father, who works in a two-man crew caring for the gardens, trees, and lawns of rich homeowners in California. Carlos is fearless, donning a belt and spikes and climbing to the tops of palm trees to do the trimming. Blasco Martinez (Joaquín Cosio), who owns the gardening truck and tools, wants to return to Mexico and Carlos borrows $12,000 from his sister, Anita (Dolores Heredia), to take over the business.
Carlos, ecstatic over his new status, shows up at Luis’s high school. Where Carlos sees the possibility of a new future, Luis only sees a beat up old truck. And Luis is being influenced by his friends at the inner city school. His girlfriend, Ruthie, is the niece of a powerful gang leader, while his best friend aspires to gang life. Both pressure Luis to follow that path.
To find a new worker, Carlos returns to the corner where he once met Blasco. His new hire, Santiago (Carlos Linares), seems eager and accompanies Carlos on the day’s first gardening job. But while Carlos is at the top of a palm tree spending a moment to admire the view, Santiago drives off with the truck and tools. Carlos quickly scrambles down from the tree and chases the truck to no avail. The scene is heartbreaking; Carlos stands in the road overcome with grief. An illegal without even a driver’s license, he cannot go to the police. And how will he explain to his sister that he has lost all of her savings?
Luis joins his father to hunt down Santiago, discovering that he works in a club. Waiting for the club to open, the two visit a nearby rodeo. Carlos tells Luis they visited this rodeo years ago, when Luis was a small boy. The return visit, however, is not a happy one. Luis rails at his father about being Mexican, and reveals he feels bitter about his mother leaving. They return to the club to find Santiago washing dishes. Carlos cannot get angry when he realizes that Santiago sent the money to his family in Mexico. Luis, however, starts to beat Santiago and it takes all of Carlos’ efforts to pull him off.
They do eventually recover the truck but when stopped by the police, Carlos cannot produce a driver’s license or registration. He is soon taken in and slated for deportation.
Knowing that he is about to lose his father is the wake up call Luis needs. He turns his back on his friends and goes with his aunt to see his father before he is returned to Mexico. Bichir’s performance in this final scene is simply perfect. He conveys all the pent up emotions of a father who feels he has failed his son, even through no fault of his own. Pass the tissues, please.
As a nation, we continue to debate immigration policy. Most of us wouldn’t be Americans if our relatives had not risked everything to come to America. A Better Life reminds us that the search for a better life continues.
