THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME // A FILM REVIEW OF "LONG GONE BY"
Stories revolving around immigration are now more important than ever. With pictures of children in cages all over the news media, the ongoing threat of deportation that many face is something we are all surrounded by. Andrew Morgan's delicate new film LONG GONE BY, now streaming on all HBO platforms, showcases one such story: a mother and a daughter, fighting for their right to stay in the United States, and how this mother will do whatever it takes for her daughter's future to be bright.
Erica Muñoz plays Ana Alvarez, an undocumented worker from Nicaragua. She's a loving mother and works hard to keep food on the table and who's main focus is always the well being of her daughter Izzy (Izzy Hau'ula), whom she is very close to. Everything changes with a deportation order. Facing deportation, Ana comes across the news, which Izzy hasn't shared with her yet, that her daughter has been accepted into Indiana University. Tuition is wildly out of her budget and since Izzy does not quality for financial aid, Ana tries to get a loan from her bank. She's approved, with a very high interest rate, but once they find out that she's undocumented, they tell her there's nothing they can do for her. So she makes the desperate decision to get the money that her daughter so desperately needs for her education by any means necessary, and it's a dangerous road she starts down.
Stories like Ana and Izzy are all too common, and co-writer/director Andrew Morgan (along with co-writers Michael Ross & David Wappel) put a much more intimate and gripping face on the social issue of families trying to find a better life in the USA. You'd have to be very hard hearted to not understand why Ana would do the things she does in the film, all in the name of her daughter's welfare, even when they are wildly dangerous. We find ourselves now in a fierce debate on the legality of coming to the states to live if you are a person of color, and LONG GONE BY does a wonderful job of helping you understand the human side of it. It's not images of ICE agents busting down doors, but it's something stronger; the real look inside of a mother's love for her daughter, even when it means that her future is uncertain. Erica Muñoz and Izzy Hau'ula are both fantastic here, channeling a much needed realism to this families story. Never do we feel like we're watching actors. In fact, many scenes have a strong documentary feel. Wherever you stand on the issue of immigration, LONG GONE BY should be required viewing. Truly understanding the struggle that millions of people go through every day, just in the search of a better life, is the least we all can do before condemning them from the comfort of our own privilege.
GRADE: A-
WRITTEN BY Andrew Morgan, Michael Ross, David Wappel DIRECTED BY Andrew Morgan STARRING Erica Muñoz, Izzy Hau'ula. NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON ALL HBO PLATFORMS (HBO NOW, HBO ON DEMAND, HBO GO and soon HBO MAX).