A Better Life

Summary: A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.

Release Date: July 28, 2011

Genres: Drama, Romance

Director: Chris Weitz

Writers: Eric Eason

, Roger L. Simon

Runtime: 1 h 38 min

MPAA: PG-13

Production: Summit Entertainment, Lime Orchard Productions, Witt/Thomas Productions

Distributor: HBO Max, Summit Home Entertainment

Country: United States

Language: English

Movie budget: $ 10,000,000

Domestic: $ 1,759,252

International: $ 104,254

Box office:

Budget:$10MDomestic:$1.8MInternational:$104.3KWorldwide:$1.9M

Box office International:

Source: The Numbers

Production:

Summit Entertainment

(Lionsgate subsidiary)

-7%

The Rotten Tomatoes audience rated this -7% lower than the critics.

86%79%

The Metacritic audience rated this 9% higher than the critics.

Metacritic Meta:

64/100

Metacritic User:

73/100

39%69%

39% of the Stars & Main Cast are Female.

69% of the Stars & Main Cast are "diverse."

Latino56.25%White31.25%Asian6.25%Mixed / Other6.25%

0.95

Commonsensemedia

Message3/5
Role model3/5
Violence2/5
Sex1/5
Language4/5
Consumerism1/5
Drugs3/5

This film gets a 0.95/5 family friendly score

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CONTENT BREAKDOWN

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86%79%

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Cast

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Tags / Keywords

abandoned by wife absent mother act of conscience african american american dream american flag anger answering machine apartment building apology arrest asylum aunt nephew relationship band bank account barbed wire bare chested male barrio bathroom beating bed bedroom beverly hills california birdfeeder black market bolas border border crossing bouncer boyfriend girlfriend relationship boyle heights los angeles bracelet breakfast brother sister relationship bull riding bus bus stop camera car car radio car wash cell phone chase cherry picker chicano chop shop church climbing a fence coming of age cooking cousin cousin relationship cowboy hat cross crossing oneself crying dancer dancing day laborer death of cousin department of homeland security deportation despair detention center disc jockey dishwasher dog drinking water from a faucet driver's license driving through a fence drug use east los angeles california ethnic identity ethnicity f word facial bruise false accusation father son relationship fear fight fingerprinting flash forward flophouse friend friendship frustration gang garage gardener guard dog gun handcuffs hat high school hope horse horseback riding hose humiliation husband wife relationship illegal immigrant immigrant immigration implied male nudity independent film jail jersey the garment juarez mexico key kicking kiss kitchen knocking on a door lawnmower lawyer leaf blower liar lie listening to a radio listening to music looking at oneself in a mirror los angeles skyline malibu los angeles mariachi band memory mexican american mexican flag mexican music mijo mirror money montage morality mother son relationship murder neighborhood nightclub optimism packing pain parade parking lot photograph pickup truck police car police processing center police processing center police station poverty power saw pride prison promise pulled over by the police punched in the face purchase ramona gardens boyle heights los angeles ramona gardens boyle heights los angeles rearview mirror religious icon religious medallion religious medallion remote control restaurant robbery rodeo roping a horse roping a horse running sale school school suspension search security guard seeking a job sending money home september 11 2001 setting an example shackles shower singer singing single father sleeping sleeping on a couch sliding downhill soccer song sonora desert stealing stealing a truck stolen truck street gang street life suffering suitcase swimming pool taco truck tattoo teenage boy teenage girl telephone telephone call temptation theft thief tree tree climbing truck tv news u.s. mexico border undocumented worker unemployment urban setting urination violence watching tv wealth wheelbarrow

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Audience Reviews:

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PJTV: Poliwood on 'A Better Life'

PJ Media Paul Witt, the original producer of A Better Life -- the film for which I was the first writer back in 1989 -- appears on Poliwood to explain, among other things -- why it took us so blankety-blank...

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A Bonfire of praise for 'A Better Life'

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Not to Be Missed: "A Better Life"

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"A Better Life" reviewed in the Hollywood Reporter

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