Full Review

Though the emotionally beveled film is at times talky and discursive, director John Sayles elicits strong performances from his mostly female cast, weaving a multitude of stories, characters and cultures into a dramatically engaging tapestry of modern maternity and its role in womanhood.

"Casa de Los Babys" refers to the motel in an undisclosed Latin American country where six gringo mothers-to-be, unable to conceive children themselves, are holed up fulfilling residency requirements while they wait for the local government to put its stamp of approval on their adoption papers. The economically and ideologically diverse group (including Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gay Harden and Lili Taylor, the sole unwed character in the clique) spend their days cautiously optimistic, sharing intimate stories of the private pain and desperate hopes that led them to the seaside inn run by Senora Munoz (Rita Moreno).

The film is constructed in Sayles' customary short-on-plot, long-on-character-development format. Rather than follow a strict narrative, "Casa de Los Babys" is essentially a collage of emotional photographs skillfully assembled to create a poignant mosaic full of pathos and humanity.

The film proves compelling, in large part due to the chemistry of its talented ensemble. The movie's emotional high-water mark comes midway through the waiting process in a touching scene between one of the hopeful soon-to-be mothers named Eileen (Susan Lynch), an Irish-born Boston homemaker, and Asuncion (Vanessa Martinez), a young local employed by the motel's cleaning staff, who put up her infant daughter for adoption. Though neither can speak the other's language, their shared grief transcends the cultural barrier that divides them, proving maternal love an eloquent lingua franca.

"Casa de Los Babys" raises thought-provoking questions concerning the thorny issue of foreign adoption, a growing option for many American couples. Sayles' evenhanded script grants equal voice to both the women anxiously awaiting children and those who view foreign adoption as another form of American imperialism. The topic of prejudice is also addressed with unflinching honesty.

The film also calls attention to the emotionally draining -- at times humiliating -- procedures many women must endure when undergoing fertility treatments. By contrasting the bright future awaiting the adopted babies with the dead-end existence of street urchins left to wallow in poverty, the film leaves viewers humbled by the awesome responsibility of parenthood. More than anything else, "Casa de Los Babys" is a celebration of life and an affirmation of the sacredness of every child as a precious gift to be cherished.

Due to sporadic rough and crude language, as well as an instance of drug abuse involving young children, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.