Taglines: Every father wants more for his son.
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.
A Better Life is an American drama film directed by Chris Weitz. The screenplay, originally known as The Gardener, was written by Eric Eason based on a story by Roger L. Simon. Demián Bichir was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) works as a gardener with Blasco Martinez (Joaquín Cosio) in Los Angeles, California. Blasco wants to return to Mexico and continually tries to persuade Carlos to purchase his business from him, which includes the work truck and gardening tools. Carlos’s son Luis (José Julián) is in high school and is dating Ruthie Valdez (Chelsea Rendon), the niece of a local gang leader. Luis regularly goes to her house after school where gang members congregate. Luis is embarrassed by his father and, although he does not wish to follow in his footsteps, has a hard time committing himself to his education. However, his relationship with Ruthie and his friendship with Facundo (Bobby Soto) pushes him toward becoming a gang member.
Carlos asks his sister Anita (Dolores Heredia) for a loan to purchase Blasco’s truck and tools. Anita lends Carlos $12,000, which comes out of her family’s emergency fund. Carlos reluctantly accepts.
Carlos returns to a corner where he used to look for work and hires Santiago (Carlos Linares). On the first day, Santiago steals the truck.
The next morning, Carlos and Luis head out to find Santiago. A tip leads them to a South Central apartment complex. The apartment is used as lodgings for illegal immigrant workers. One man, to whom Santiago sold Carlos’ cellphone, tells them that Santiago moonlights as a dishwasher at a nightclub. When they first go, the club is closed and they go to a nearby rodeo.
At the rodeo, Carlos and Luis talk about Luis’s feelings toward his culture and his family. Luis is bitter about his mother abandoning them. He does not like Mexican music or certain Mexican traditions. When the nightclub opens, Carlos finds Santiago washing dishes. Santiago runs away, but Luis is waiting outside and tackles him. Carlos pulls Luis away. They discover that Santiago has sold the truck and sent the money to his family back home to El Salvador. Luis runs away.
A Better Life
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Starring: Demián Bichir, Nancy Lenehan, Tim Griffin, Olivia Guerrero, Rolando Molina, Chelsea Rendon, Nancy Lenehan, Valorie Hubbard, Dolores Heredia, Isabella Rae Thomas
Screenplay by: Eric Eason, Roger L. Simon
Production Design by: Missy Stewart
Cinematography by: Javier Aguirresarobe
Film Editing by: Peter Lambert
Costume Design by: Elaine Montalvo
Set Decoration by: Bryan Venegas
Art Direction by: Christopher Tandon
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence, language and brief drug use.
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: June 24 2011
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