Common Sense Media Review
Unflinching drama of the journey of a drug mule.
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Maria: Full of Grace
What's the Story?
Struggling to help her family survive, Maria Alvarez, a Colombian teen, works under tough conditions in a flower factory. Pushed too far by her supervisor, she quits her job, and very soon after, she meets Franklin, a young man who suggests that she act as a drug mule -- swallowing packets of heroin to smuggle them into the U.S. Although she makes it out safely, things quickly get out of her control, and she finds herself both in a foreign country and in a dangerous predicament.
Is It Any Good?
At times agonizing to watch due to its detailed execution, MARIA FULL OF GRACE is a powerful film, sure to affect almost any viewer. In Maria, actor Catalina Sandino Moreno creates a character with which most people will find it hard not to sympathize, and for such a relentlessly distressing story, her high level of charisma is crucial to keep viewers watching.
This is a gritty -- almost documentary-like -- look at what it's like to be a drug mule. It certainly doesn't glamorize drug culture (one mule is caught by police, another becomes deathly ill after swallowing her balloons, but Maria eventually emerges a stronger person). But the movie doesn't condemn Maria for making tough choices; in the end, she has emerged a stronger person.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fact that smaller movies are often grittier than big-budget pictures. Why do you think that is? How would this movie have been different if Jennifer Lopez had played the lead? Would it have been as effective?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 16, 2004
- On DVD or streaming : December 12, 2004
- Cast : Catalina Sandino Moreno , Virginia Ariza , Yenny Paola Vega
- Director : Joshua Marston
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fine Line Features
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 101 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : drug content and language.
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 27, 2024
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