"La Mission" A Reflection or True Life

It was with much trepidation that I sat down to watch La Mission – the Bratt brothers (Benjamin – actor/producer of the film and Peter – writer, director and producer) new film. This was a movie very close to home, portraying my beloved Mission barrio and what is left of it after decades of pervasive gentrification. I was also concerned about how La Mission would deal with an issue Latinos are still struggling with today – homosexuality. Knowing Bratt’s work from Piñero and Bound by Honor, I was hoping for a movie that reflected that caliber of performance and story. At the same time, the movie’s budget was only 2.4 million so I knew the film was an “act of love” on the part of the Bratt brothers. Most films require millions more just to be made--let alone the additional millions of dollars required for promotion and advertisement. I had heard some mixed reviews so I knew I had to see it for myself. I was also motivated by the fact that Benjamin Bratt would be available for Q & A after the screening. I’m glad I overcame my initial trepidation and went to the screening.

It is the story of Che (Benjamin Bratt); - a single father who is a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic-- who discovers his only son, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez) is gay. When Che finds out, he loses control and in his rage kicks his son out of the house. Later, Che is convinced by his neighbor, Lena (Erika Alexander), to make amends with his son in spite of his seeming inability to accept his son’s homosexuality.

Like so many in this movie’s Latino audience, I immediately was struck by the people of my youth coming to life on the big screen. Che’s character brought back vivid memories of an old boyfriend who would labor over the details of his Cholo outfit of classy Pendleton and perfectly ironed pantalones. The character Jesse reminded me of my former boyfriend’s little brother who was extremely talented and proud of his homosexuality. Lena was a beautiful example of a close African American friend of mine, who like the character, is a uniquely organic individual and part of the diverse population San Francisco has to offer. The cultural images, like the Aztec dancers, and ethnic exchanges, like the camaraderie exhibited by the bus drivers were very prominent features in the film. These instances of ethnic solidarity and cultural pride are examples of everyday life that, in my experience, - native San Franciscans rarely see of themselves on the big screen but intuitively know exists. Overall, the performances of the main characters were so close to real life that I felt unsettled given their powerful authenticity. Immediately after the movie, I called my old friends to tell them to see La Mission because they were in it!

After the screening, Bratt talked about how the main character was based on a lowrider named Che. He added that when the real Che was told that his movie son was coming out to his father, Che rejected the idea of having a gay son. The real Che’s reaction was, “Why couldn’t he have been a drug dealer or something like that? Why gay?” Bratt explained then that the reason his brother wrote this movie was to make a statement against the extreme violence in our communities and how conditioned we are to accept it as a part of normal life. In the film, Jessie, the gay son, is not only beaten by his father but he is also mercilessly taunted by his classmates and kids in the neighborhood. The movie makes you realize how violence permeates all aspects of barrio life and how often we uncritically and unconsciously accept it as a part of our communities. As Bratt says, “We are conditioned to not even question it.”

The Bratt brothers have broken ground in producing a movie that critically unveils the accepted and taken-for-granted violence in our communities and forces the viewer to see it and reject it. They also need to be applauded for taking on homosexuality in the Latino community and the often violent homophobia that surrounds it. These two issues, long overdue for discussion—are powerfully captured in this well-told narrative. Let’s hope the Bratt brothers will continue to make similarly powerful and critical films that will crossover and be appreciated by mainstream audiences who too often stereotype Latinos. This one definitely hits home for those from La Mission.