Parents' Guide to Endgame

Although this "inspired by true events" drama is occasionally cheesy and melodramatic, the story is just inspiring and sweet enough to make for a fine family movie night. You'll have plenty to discuss after watching Jose and his classmates learn how to play chess (and, in Jose's case, finding out how chess connects him to his grandmother and his dearly departed grandfather). The twin tragedies that leave Jose feeling alone and unloved (except by his fairly awesome abuelita, played brilliantly by Coll, who's an expert at portraying scene-stealing grandmothers thanks to her role on Jane the Virgin) turn the movie into a bit of a sentimental after-school special, but that's not a bad thing -- just a predictable one.

Jose isn't as charming as Rodriguez' character Manny on ABC's hit Modern Family; the actor has to stretch himself to depict Jose's anger and sadness. And Jose's disengaged mother, Karla, is difficult to empathize with; although she's not, strictly speaking, abusive, she so obviously favors Miguel to Jose that it's hard to believe (for example, she makes Miguel hearty full breakfasts, while Jose gets stale cereal and a few drops of milk). A subplot involving Jose and a cute female opponent seems unnecessary, but perhaps director Carmen Marron felt like mild flirtation was needed to lighten the darker plot points. It might have worked better to include more of Jose and his best friend, Dani (Alina Herrera), before her family faces deportation, as their friendship -- along with Jose's relationship with his grandmother -- is the most evocative part of the film.