La Mission

Here is film loaded with good intentions and an important story to tell—but the filmmakers failed to approach it with originality. La Mission breaks down homophobia in a Latino family and community, as Che Rivera (Benjamin Bratt; his brother Peter directs) lashes out at his teenage son, beating and disowning him after discovering the life he had to keep secret out of fear of that very reaction. Che’s long road to redemption has a familiar map, and that’s a shame. There really is something to explore in La Mission, but it is conveniently swept under the rug in favor of bullet points that might register an easier call-and-response.