La Misma Luna
Encyclopedia
La misma luna is a 2007 Mexican-American drama film
in Spanish
and English
directed by Patricia Riggen
and starring Adrian Alonso, Kate del Castillo
, and Eugenio Derbez
.
), a mother who illegally immigrates to the United States, and her nine-year-old son, Carlitos (Adrian Alonso). Rosario and Carlitos have not seen each other in four years, since Carlitos was five. Rosario, now living in Los Angeles
, California
, calls her son, (still in Mexico), every Sunday from a payphone. Carlitos lives in a small Mexican village with his sick grandmother and his oppressive aunt and uncle, who keep him in order to get the money that Rosario sends to him. One day, while working for a woman named Carmen (Carmen Salinas), Carlitos encounters two American immigrant transporters (coyotes), Martha (America Ferrera
) and David (Jesse Garcia
), who offer to smuggle small children across the border.
When his grandmother passes away, Carlitos decides that he cannot live with his aunt and uncle and finds the two coyotes. Though he successfully crosses the border without being caught, the car that he hides in is towed away and he is separated from the two coyotes. Afterwards, Carlitos continues the journey, eventually helping other illegal immigrants pick tomatoes. However, immigration police raid the building, and almost all of the workers are caught or escape, leaving only Carlitos and another worker named Enrique (Eugenio Derbez
). Enrique initially refuses to help Carlitos, but he soon grows a bond with him. Enrique and Carlitos travel the city trying to locate the bus stop where Rosario calls Carlitos from, but are unsuccessful.
While traveling, Carlitos and Enrique arrive at a restaurant managed by a Native American man and his wife. Carlitos manages to get jobs there for himself and Enrique. At the restaurant, Carlitos looks up his long-lost father, Oscar Aguilar Pons (Ernesto D'Alessio), in a phone book, and they meet at a wholesale store and have lunch there. Oscar agrees to take Carlitos to Los Angeles to where Rosario is, but later reneges, angering Carlitos.
One day, as Carlitos is sleeping on a park bench, Enrique leaves to buy food and Carlitos is spotted by the police. Carlitos is almost caught by the police, but Enrique throws a drink at the officers, provoking the officers to chase him instead. Carlitos manages to escape but Enrique is caught. Carlitos flees and arrives at the pay phone from which his mother has made her weekly calls to him. He sees her across the street at the payphone, and they are reunited at last.
June 17, 2008 in the United States
.
was the first network to broadcast the film on OTA
during Mother's Day, May 10, 2009.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
directed by Patricia Riggen
Patricia Riggen
Patricia Riggen is a Mexican film director. She best known for directing the 2007 film La Misma Luna and the 2011 Disney Channel original film Lemonade Mouth.-Life and career:...
and starring Adrian Alonso, Kate del Castillo
Kate del Castillo
Kate del Castillo is a leading Mexican film, theater, and television actress.- Early life :Kate Del Castillo is the daughter of Kate Trillo and Eric del Castillo, a legend of the Mexican cinema's golden era and a former soap opera actor himself...
, and Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio González Derbez is a Mexican actor of film and comedy television. He created the television series of XHDRBZ, Vecinos, and La familia P. Luche. Derbez is also a Formula Three Auto racing driver.-Life and career:...
.
Plot
The film tells the story of Rosario (Kate del CastilloKate del Castillo
Kate del Castillo is a leading Mexican film, theater, and television actress.- Early life :Kate Del Castillo is the daughter of Kate Trillo and Eric del Castillo, a legend of the Mexican cinema's golden era and a former soap opera actor himself...
), a mother who illegally immigrates to the United States, and her nine-year-old son, Carlitos (Adrian Alonso). Rosario and Carlitos have not seen each other in four years, since Carlitos was five. Rosario, now living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, calls her son, (still in Mexico), every Sunday from a payphone. Carlitos lives in a small Mexican village with his sick grandmother and his oppressive aunt and uncle, who keep him in order to get the money that Rosario sends to him. One day, while working for a woman named Carmen (Carmen Salinas), Carlitos encounters two American immigrant transporters (coyotes), Martha (America Ferrera
America Ferrera
America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
) and David (Jesse Garcia
Jesse Garcia
Jesse Garcia is an American actor.Garcia starred in the award-winning film Quinceañera, written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer with executive producer Todd Haynes, which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic...
), who offer to smuggle small children across the border.
When his grandmother passes away, Carlitos decides that he cannot live with his aunt and uncle and finds the two coyotes. Though he successfully crosses the border without being caught, the car that he hides in is towed away and he is separated from the two coyotes. Afterwards, Carlitos continues the journey, eventually helping other illegal immigrants pick tomatoes. However, immigration police raid the building, and almost all of the workers are caught or escape, leaving only Carlitos and another worker named Enrique (Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio González Derbez is a Mexican actor of film and comedy television. He created the television series of XHDRBZ, Vecinos, and La familia P. Luche. Derbez is also a Formula Three Auto racing driver.-Life and career:...
). Enrique initially refuses to help Carlitos, but he soon grows a bond with him. Enrique and Carlitos travel the city trying to locate the bus stop where Rosario calls Carlitos from, but are unsuccessful.
While traveling, Carlitos and Enrique arrive at a restaurant managed by a Native American man and his wife. Carlitos manages to get jobs there for himself and Enrique. At the restaurant, Carlitos looks up his long-lost father, Oscar Aguilar Pons (Ernesto D'Alessio), in a phone book, and they meet at a wholesale store and have lunch there. Oscar agrees to take Carlitos to Los Angeles to where Rosario is, but later reneges, angering Carlitos.
One day, as Carlitos is sleeping on a park bench, Enrique leaves to buy food and Carlitos is spotted by the police. Carlitos is almost caught by the police, but Enrique throws a drink at the officers, provoking the officers to chase him instead. Carlitos manages to escape but Enrique is caught. Carlitos flees and arrives at the pay phone from which his mother has made her weekly calls to him. He sees her across the street at the payphone, and they are reunited at last.
Cast
- Adrian Alonso as Carlos "Carlitos" Reyes
- Kate Del CastilloKate del CastilloKate del Castillo is a leading Mexican film, theater, and television actress.- Early life :Kate Del Castillo is the daughter of Kate Trillo and Eric del Castillo, a legend of the Mexican cinema's golden era and a former soap opera actor himself...
as Rosario - Eugenio DerbezEugenio DerbezEugenio González Derbez is a Mexican actor of film and comedy television. He created the television series of XHDRBZ, Vecinos, and La familia P. Luche. Derbez is also a Formula Three Auto racing driver.-Life and career:...
as Enrique - America FerreraAmerica FerreraAmerica Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
as Martha - Jesse GarciaJesse GarciaJesse Garcia is an American actor.Garcia starred in the award-winning film Quinceañera, written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer with executive producer Todd Haynes, which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic...
as David - Maya Zapata as Alicia
- Gabriel PorrasGabriel PorrasGabriel Porras is a Mexican actor. He began his acting career working for TV Azteca in telenovelas like "Tres Veces Sofia" along with Mexican diva Lucía Méndez and "El Tio Alberto"...
as Paco - Sonya SmithSonya SmithSonya Eleonora Smith Jacquet is an Venezuelan actress best known for her roles in telenovelas.-Biography:A blond and blue-eyed Hispanic born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is the daughter of Venezuelan actress Ileana Jacquet and Federico Albertini Smith, who is part-Colombian and part-American...
as Mrs. Snyder - Carmen Salinas as Doña Carmen
- Ernesto D'Alessio as Oscar
Critical response
The film received positive reviews, getting a 73% fresh rating on Rottentomatoes.Home release
Under the Same Moon was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
June 17, 2008 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Broadcasting history
UnivisionUnivision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
was the first network to broadcast the film on OTA
Over-the-air programming
Over-the-air programming refers to various methods of distributing new software updates or configuration settings to devices like cellphones and set-top boxes...
during Mother's Day, May 10, 2009.