The plot of UNDER THE SAME MOON can be summed up in one line.  Mexican boy (Adrian Alonso) crosses border to unite with his mother working illegally in the U.S.  Director Patricia Riggen’s entire film, based on the script by Ligiah Villaobos goes through the painful process, ensuring no cliché is left unturned of the mother and son reunion.  Other characters in the story include a loving but ill grandmother, wicked aunt and uncle and a reluctant guardian, Enrique (Eugenio Derbez).  Surprisingly, Riggen holds back on the tears but that does not mean the film fares any better.

From the very start, mother Rosario (Kate Del Castillo) circles on her calendar the date of Carlitos’ birthday.  Every Sunday, she calls him and they go through the ‘we love each other’ procedure till the telephone connection is cut when coins run out.  The two bond seeing each other through the reflection of the moon.  Enough mush is enough!  But the film at least is not boring as the script keeps piling on incident after incident (crazy though it might seem) before the boy, undoubtedly and predictably succeeds in his quest.

The script fails to establish a strong reason for Rosario to leave her son to work in the States.  The only time the film gets grounded in reality is when the narrative fails in its credibility.  Some suspense is generated when Carlitos is smuggled across the border.  One wishes the film’s two most interesting characters Dona Carmen (Carmen Solinas) and Rosario’s bitchy American employer, Mrs. McKenzie (Jacqueline Voltaire) were given more screen time.

UNDER THE SAME MOON is filmed in English and (Mexican) Spanish.  Most of the nasties on illegal immigration and racial prejudice are lightened making the film family friendly.