LA CASA DEL LOS BABYS
US, 2003, 96 minutes, Colour.
Marcia Gaye Hardin, Maggie Gylenhaal, Mary Steenburgen, Daryl Hannah, Lily Taylor, Susan Lynch, Rita Moreno.
Directed by John Sayles.
La Casa del los Babys is a very personal film from John Sayles, director of many striking films with a social concern (Matewan, Eight Men Out, City of Hope as well as personal films like Limbo, Passion Fish). In 1997 Sayles made a film in Mexico, Men With Guns, a focus on a doctor in Mexico who goes to visit his graduates and finds that almost all of them have been killed by the army or by rebels. Sayles has gone back to Mexico and filmed this story about American women wanting to adopt babies in an unnamed Latin American country. The film is partly in English, partly in Spanish.
The film focuses on babies, the question whether they would be better off staying in their own country (and we see a lot of the street kids of the city, stealing, open to prostitution) or to be adopted within their own country (and disappear from their mothers). Or would it be better for them to be adopted by wealthy American women, experience the love of family? What are the risks in each case?
The film shows a group of mothers, a cross-section of six women, coming from the United States and waiting for up to two months to receive a baby. There is a great deal of paperwork, the necessity of pay-offs to move things along. In the meantime, a government official lets his sister know what is happening - and she runs a hotel for these mothers, making money out of their delayed stay.
Rita Moreno plays the manager of the hotel. The other American women form the cross-section of the group, each having a strong personality, Sayles delineating their personalities, and providing edge with all of their characters, making us wonder about the references for their suitability as adoptive mothers. Marcia Gaye Hardin is striking as the dominating woman amongst the group, pretending to be more than she is, stealing petty items from the cleaning carts in the hotel. Daryl Hannah is a woman very much given to physical exercise. Mary Steenburgen is a born-again reformed alcoholic, the nicest of the characters along with Susan Lynch's Eileen, an Irish mother from Boston. Maggie Gylenhaal is the young naïve, wealthy mother-to-be. Lily Taylor is a New York editor, very sarcastic, soured on relationships, critical of the other women.
The film also shows a range of characters from the country itself: the young woman who minds her children, comes from the mountainside into the wealthy city to work in the hotel, her friends, their discussions about pregnancy and adoption forming a background to the discussions with the women. There is a young out-of-work man who acts as a tour guide, wants to win the lottery to get to Philadelphia - and who has learnt his English from watching films. There are the young children in the streets, the officials.
The film is certainly one of values, exploring the different cultures of northern and central America in the context of human life, motherhood and adoption.
1. The work of John Sayles, his interests, the American perspective, the Latin American perspective?
2. The use of Mexican locations for an unknown country? The contrast between affluence and poverty? The mountainside and the poor homes, coming down the mountain and seeing the wealthy city buildings, the bus, the streets, the markets, the monuments? An authentic feel? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on adoption, the American women going to the house, their needs, wealthy backgrounds, offering family love? Adoption in Latin America? Asuncion and her story about her baby, its being adopted in the north? The young pregnant girl, the mother and her concern about the pregnancy, the clinic and the discussion about abortion? Is adoption in the United States better than for the children to live in Latin America?
4. The credits, the long tracking scenes of the babies? The nurse and her holding the baby, singing? The rather sour comments of the nun? The discussion about wet nurses? The nun fearing that the children would be spoilt? The nurse and her tenderness, holding the children? The finale with the babies ready to be adopted?
5. The role of the government, red tape, the documentation, references? Extra money being paid? The mothers waiting, the phone calls, the influence? The prerequisites for their being mothers, how important the documentation, screenings?
6. The hostess, her son, the house for the women? The staff? Their seeing her as arrogant and a princess? The young man, his politics, meetings with friends, their discussions? His mother's criticism? The man calling in looking for a job, his being put off, the hostess watching the television, her make-up and jewellery? Service in the hotel, the complaints, especially from Nancy? Her talking with her brother, the government official? Keeping the women there, their paying extra?
7. The group of women, their backgrounds, American, affluent, their being friendly and unfriendly? At the meals, their orders? Their treatment of the staff? Their whims, demands, complaints? Talking to each other, talking about each other? Wanting babies, their prospects?
8. Nancy and her strength of character, her continued complaints, arrogance, her treatment of the servants? Talking about her husband, giving different information? Truth and falsity? Her continued criticisms, criticisms of the other women, especially Lesley? Her calling her a lesbian? Her own expectations? Her discussion about bringing up her child, discipline? Her suspicions of others, the revelation that she was stealing the items from the trolley, Gayle having seen her? Her visit to the official, her demands, promising extra money? Waiting at the end with Eileen to receive the baby?
9. Gayle as the nice person, going to the AA meeting, her being a born-again Christian, her faith, her friendliness, her being with Jennifer?
10. Jennifer, her wealthy background, being young, her husband being away, bringing him, wanting him there? The name and calling him Junior and Lesley ridiculing this? Her reading the books? Pleasant, her friendship with Gayle, the tour with the young man and his being the guide?
11. Skipper, her swimming, running, weights? The straightforward woman, on the tour with the guide? Others being jealous of her?
12. Eileen, her Irish background, living in Boston? Her not being good at languages, polite to the staff, in her room? Buying the book for the boy in the market, her long telling of her story of imagining her daughter in years to come, picking her up, taking her out, giving her treats? Listening to Asuncion's story but not understanding any of it? The bonds between the two women, empathy but not understanding the stories? Her going to get her baby, her decision to call it Esmeralda after Asuncion's child?
13. Lesley, her talk, clothes, her work as an editor, her continued criticisms, loneliness? The accusation of being lesbian? Her prospects for having a baby, talking about bringing the daughter up, going through the phases, her daughter hating her? A cover for her own feelings? The New York style?
14. Asuncion, looking after the children, getting the bus, chatting to her friend about pregnancies, her protection of her younger sister? At work, with the boss, her story of the adoption of her child and its name Esmeralda?
15. The young girl and her being pregnant, the interview with her mother, the suggestion about the abortion? Her care, going to see the father of the child, his ignorance, her future - buying the jeans at a bigger size, going to Florida?
16. The young boy, being the father of the child, his flirting with the American women, wanting to take them to nightclubs? The young macho attitude?
17. The out-of-work man, learning his English from the cinema, friendly, being a guide, watching the lottery and his throwing away his ticket when not winning? The women watching the same television and the various shows - and the condemnation of the triteness of television?
18. The official, the red tape, the interview with Nancy, his excuses, pretending to phone authorities, ringing his sister, getting the extra money, arranging for the baby?
19. A particular view of Latin America versus the United States?
