• About
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Drive-By Movie Review: Crossing Over

By Len Penzo

This is a movie review of the 2009 movie Crossing Over starring Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd…

Plot Synopsis: Crossing Over is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. Multiple character subplots are anchored by the story of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent named Max Brogan (Harrison Ford), who suffers a crisis of conscience after separating a Mexican woman from her son during a sting.

Me: Honeybee, there is nothing more poetic than watching a movie of seemingly independent multi-stranded plot lines carefully develop until they all neatly converge at the end into one tidy little story.

The Honeybee: I think Crash did a great job in that regard!

Me: You know, both Traffic and Babel were also great movies with multiple interlocking story lines bound together by a common theme.

The Honeybee: I think I know where you are going with this, so I’ll play the straight gal here – Len, did the multiple stories of Crossing Over wax poetic with you too?

Me: It did, but nowhere near as effectively as Traffic, Crash, or Babel. Which is too bad because, with actors like Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, and Ashley Judd, it had a powerhouse cast.

The Honeybee: Speaking of Ray Liotta… Last night you kept repeating during the movie how fat he was – you must have mentioned it at least ten times. Very annoying.

Me: Ray Liotta is fat! You don’t think so?

The Honeybee: I will say he’s not as sexy as he used to be, like when he starred in Field of Dreams.

Me: Ultimately, my problem with the movie had nothing to do with Ray Liotta. It’s that Crossing Over unsuccessfully tried to address the topic of illegal immigration with too many preachy heavy-handed stories of characters that either try to skirt the law or gain legal residency to the US via dubious means.

The Honeybee: I didn’t think the movie had too many story lines. I will admit I was a bit confused in the beginning watching all these seemingly unconnected subplots playing out, but I thought the writers tied everything up nicely at the end.

Me: I thought the writers really tried a bit too hard to make us feel sorry for these illegal aliens when they got deported – even though they broke the law by illegally entering the country in the first place. I for one was clapping and cheering when the illegal-immigrant family of a 15-year-old Muslim girl (Summer Bishil) was deported after an impassioned speech she gave to her classmates, arguing that the 9/11 hijackers had a point, was brought to the attention of the FBI.

The Honeybee: I thought the writer’s really did overplay the deportation of the girl’s family. Still, although not as good as Crash or Babel, I thought the movie was fairly decent.

Me: That doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement. Is this a “Buy” or “Sell” for you?

The Honeybee: It’s a tough call. I liked the movie as a rental, but I don’t think it would have been worth paying the extra money to see it at the theater. Is there a middle ground? Can I say “Rent?”

Me: You just did. As for me, I think this movie was a bit too preachy for me to be truly enjoyable – I say “Sell.” I also hope next time I see Ray Liotta, he’s lost a little weight. 😉

Hey! If you liked this article, please be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed! 🙂

August 27, 2009

Comments

  1. 1

    Ray Liotta says

    Somebody told me you were calling me fat, Len. I’m not. Call me pleasantly plump.

    Ray

  2. 2

    Len Penzo says

    Hey! Are you really…? I mean… Nah.

The Question of the Week:

Did you buy any fireworks to celebrate Independence Day this year?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • Black Coffee: Born on the 4th of July
  • How To Start Investing In Cryptocurrencies
  • Grandfather Says: The Travails of Working with Stone
  • 5 Expert Tips for Saving Money with a Credit Card
  • How to Implement Strategic Planning Processes
  • Is It Better to Borrow From Your 401k or Take an Early Withdrawal?
  • When It Doesn’t Pay to Buy Big-Ticket Items on Sale
  • Black Coffee: Digital Castles in the Air
  • How to Improve Your Sports Betting Success
  • Toyota Has Started Accepting Bitcoin for Payment

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Sign up for the weekly Len Penzo dot Com newsletter
Len Penzo dot Com Delivered Weekly
Join more than 40,000 readers and fans who enjoy personal finance and macroeconomics with an offbeat twist!
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!

Popular Now:

  1. 1. The 6 Most Valuable Grocery Store Products
  2. 2. Series I Savings Bonds Are Now Paying 9.62%; Here Are Their Pros & Cons
  3. 3. 25 Examples of Shrinkflation That No Longer Fool Consumers
  4. 4. 7 Big Reasons Why a Roth IRA Isn’t the Best Way to Save for Retirement
  5. 5. 3 Ways That Great Sleep Helps You Get Richer
  6. 6. What’s the Fastest Way to Pay Down Your Mortgage Early?
  7. 7. How to Save Money on Dental Care So You Won’t Go Broke at the Dentist
  8. 8. Historical Gold & Silver Benchmarks for Wages and Commodity Prices
  9. 9. Tip Inflation: We’ve Got Nobody to Blame But Ourselves
  10. 10. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Suburban Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending You the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2022 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

© Len Penzo dot Com 2008–2022