Parents' Guide to

Mi Amigo Alexis

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Sweet subtitled soccer tale has some mature themes.

Movie NR 2019 100 minutes
Mi Amigo Alexis Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Mi Amigo Alexis Movie: Luciano Gonzalez in the arms of Alexis Sanchez
  • Mi Amigo Alexis Movie: Scene 2
  • Mi Amigo Alexis Movie: Scene 3

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What's the Story?

In MI AMIGO ALEXIS, Tito (Luciano Gonzalez) loves to play soccer with the neighborhood kids and, for age 12, he's pretty good. MI AMIGO ALEXIS tells a story of impoverished Chilean families who see soccer talent in their young kids as a way out of poverty. Tito's dad Hector (Daniel Munoz) failed in his own professional career and is now an unemployed, bitter drunk. He pulls Tito out of school to train for tryouts that could track the boy toward a possible professional career. The trouble is that Tito is a great student who loves school and would rather design buildings than play pro ball, but he can't tell his dad for fear his father will withdraw his love. His older sister Gloria (Ignacia Uribe) is a true soccer talent with the drive to succeed, but their dad ignores and denigrates her dreams. Enter Alexis Sanchez, a real-life famed Chilean soccer player (playing himself). He befriends Tito by accident and is kind and helpful, in spite of his treatment by Hector, who barges into his home to bully Alexis into helping Tito get a major tryout. Alexis also gently helps the moody and obsessed Hector to see how he has been mistreating his children. Flashbacks to Alexis' own impoverished childhood demonstrate his love for the game, and when Alexis leads Tito's friends in a soccer match, he emphasizes a love of the game over its potential monetary value.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This movie is a sweet and engaging story about how a loving young son copes with an insensitive and clueless father. Mi Amigo Alexis sets a jaunty tone with robust, fun music as it chronicles the complex emotional lives of poor kids who are more interested in enjoying themselves than in money. The gentle understanding that Sanchez brings to the story underscores how much farther passion and enjoyment can take you than the militant ravings of a desperate and unfulfilled parent. As Sanchez explains, his mother never forced him to play soccer when he was young, so his drive came from within. Equally moving is his assurance that he has never forgotten where he came from, or the hunger and deprivation of his youth.

The one misstep here is the jokey scene in which locals who vandalized Sanchez's fancy car are sorry for the "mistake" once they learn the car belonged to a major soccer star. This stereotyping implies that poor people steal as a matter of course, which feels belittling and condescending.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how terrible the dad in Mi Amigo Alexis makes his son feel when the boy doesn't measure up to his high standards on the soccer field. Do you think it's fair that the father puts the fortunes of the family on the boy's potential soccer career?

  • Why do you think some parents concentrate on making themselves look good through the accomplishments of their kids? What does the father do to help his son achieve his own happiness and fulfillment?

  • What role does poverty play in the father's behavior? How much of his behavior reflects shame over his own failures in life?

  • Are there useful lessons for parents and kids to take from this tale? What are they?

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