Casa de los babys

Low key effort from esteemed director John Sayles, who in this ensemble drama, explores the issues of adoption of South American babies by Northern American women. The story centres around six women who are impatiently passing time, awaiting a child to take home with them. Each character, filled with anticipation (and some with fear), discusses their new role as mother, reflecting upon their pasts, revealing key moments that lead them to this point. Sayles also devotes some narrative time to the story of a young impoverished boy and his depressing milieu, a pregnant teenager and her overbearing mother, a cleaning woman raising her siblings and a hotel manager and her errant son. Multiple story threads dilutes the emotional impact, but fine acting and some sticky social issues provide the film with occasional potency.
Cast includes: Daryl Hannah, Lili Taylor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen