| Under the Same Moon (La misma luna) |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Patricia Riggen |
| Produced by | Ligiah Villalobos Gerardo Barrera |
| Written by | Ligiah Villalobos |
| Starring | Adrian Alonso Kate del Castillo Eugenio Derbez America Ferrera Jesse Garcia |
| Music by | Carlo Sillioto Los Tigres del Norte |
| Cinematography | Checco Varese |
| Editing by | Aleshka Ferrero |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures The Weinstein Company |
| Release date(s) | July 27, 2007 (festival) March 19, 2008 (US) March 20, 2008 (Mexico) |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | Mexico United States |
| Language | Spanish English |
| Box office | $23,311,391 |
La misma luna (aka Under the Same Moon) 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.
Contents |
The film tells the story of Rosario (Kate del Castillo), 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.
The film received positive reviews, getting a 73% fresh rating on Rottentomatoes.[1]
The film was released in the United States on March 19, 2008,[2] in only 266 theaters.[3]
Under the Same Moon was released on DVD June 17, 2008 in the United States.
Univision was the first network to broadcast the film on OTA during Mother's Day, May 10, 2009.