CS Daily Archive > DVD of the Day > 04/21/04

Sayles' Latest Goes South

by ANDREW ZINNES

Lack of a plot and some unrealistic character motivation make John Sayles' latest film -- about American women waiting to adopt South American children -- not his best. Although his lofty themes come through, you get better explanation in the behind- the-scenes documentary.

Casa de los Babys

John Sayles

Casa de los Babys is a hotel in an unnamed South American country where six American women wait to adopt children from a local hospital. The women vary in socioeconomic status within their own group, but are seen as "cultural imperialists" by the locals -- gringos coming down to take their children to "the good life" up North. This, in good Saylesian form, sets up storylines and points of view for the townies, all of whom have some sort of tie to the Casa (be it political, financial or emotional). Here Sayles shows us the great irony as infants are coveted, but street kids who really need help are left to fend for themselves.

It seems like the perfect John Sayles world: a complex, interwoven community exists where the richest of the rich can be brought down by the poorest of the poor in one simple action. However, Sayles' themes fall flat, mainly due to the writing. The characters have great depth and sympathy, such as Type A exercise freak Skipper (Daryl Hannah), who has a heart-wrenching reason for her regimen. But on the whole, the film seems like a stage play due to the lack of a strong plot, long monologues and static character movement. While the last two items are typical of most of Sayles' work, he usually infuses them into a great story that contains obstacles, threat and comedy. Casa De Los Babys lacks all three of these things and therefore pales in comparison to other films such as Matewan and Sunshine State.

Also, at times the characters did not seem very real. When Nan (Marcia Gay Harden) tells the other hopefuls about her "spare the rod, spoil the child" attitude to childrearing, we'd expect at least one of the women to call her on this as cruel and archaic. That doesn't happen here, and this passivity doesn't feel accurate. Perhaps Sayles is showing that the women have been run down by the country's system -- which includes hiring unscrupulous lawyers and a two-month forced residence -- but among such strong personalities, something so basic should cause a heated argument. Another factor could be the hit-and-miss translation for some of the English subtitles.

- Audio commentary by director John Sayles
- "The Making Of Casa de los Babys" featurette
- Beyond Borders documentary
- "On Location with John Sayles" documentary
- Original theatrical trailer

There are some good extras on the DVD that are much better than the film. The making-of featurette allows Sayles to explain the theme he was trying to convey regarding the adoption of poorer-cultured children by wealthier nations. This, coupled with a fascinating documentary on the noble Beyond Borders organization, clearly shows why Sayles would be interested in such a controversial subject matter. And Sayles' commentary track is a great learning tool for screenwriters who want to understand character development.

Casa de los Babys is not John Sayles' best film, instead falling toward the middle of the pack. Sayles discusses the themes of the film so eloquently in the extras that perhaps this story might have been better served if he had opted to shoot a documentary on the topic instead.

Casa de los Babys
MGM
Rated R; 95 min.
$29.98

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Andrew Zinnes moved to Los Angeles after receiving his masters degree in Film and Video from American University in Washington, DC. A ten-year veteran of film and TV development, Andrew has worked for such producers as Norman Lear, Donald DeLine (who now runs Paramount) and USA Networks. Currently, Andrew is directing sports oriented documentaries and writing and producing feature films.

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