Casa de los Babys

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2003 by Rudy Mangual

In the film Casa de los Babys writer/director John Sayles presents the story of six American women each going though the sometimes painful process of adopting a baby in a South America country. The ensemble cast, which includes Daryl Hannah, Lili Taylor, Mary Steenburgen, Susan Lynch, Marcia Gay Harden and Maggie Gyllenhall, represent unique women with different pasts awaiting the outcome of their prospective adoptions while staying at a government-sponsored motel nicknamed the Casa de los Babys, run by the beautiful and charming Rita Moreno, in the first Spanish-speaking role of her career. As the women are forced to wait for months for word on their adoptions--due to the bureaucracy involved with the process--preconceptions about each other begin to break down, and in some cases the characters begin to understand themselves better. The complicated issue of cross-culture adoption, and in many ways, adoption in general, is also addressed by some of the other characters in the film including a group of street kids resigned to a life of poverty and a state of near-invisibility, who we see in contrast to the highly sought after children who are up for adoption.

Another viewpoint that's presented is that of a young woman played by actress Vanessa Martínez) who works in the motel and has given up a child for adoption. A memorable and very powerful scene involves the characters played by Martínez and Lynch, confiding in each other about pivotal moments in their lives, despite the language barrier between them.

The soundtrack covers a diverse range of music from artists such as Rubén Blades, Los Zafiros, Llasa, Lila Downs, Los Panchos and Carlos Puebla. Casa de los Babys is a beautiful film with strong performances and some provocative and powerful ideas. Sayles delivers a film that presents many different perspectives to a complicated topic through well-developed characters and some truly touching moments.