What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie is about an unfortunate chain of events that leads a 17-year old Colombian girl, Maria (Catalina Sandino Moreno), to smuggle drugs into the U.S. by swallowing them. The processes of preparing the drugs for swallowing, the actual swallowing, and the retrieval are shown in exhaustive detail. Though only one brief heavy kissing scene takes place, much of the plot revolves around Maria's pregnancy and the pressures it brings, which are discussed extensively. Language (English subtitles) is casual and conversational, but often heated and uncensored. While Maria is noble in many regards, her actions are dangerous, and they put her life in jeopardy.
- Families can talk about the fact that smaller movies are often grittier than big-budget pictures. Why do you think that is? How would this movie have been different if Jennifer Lopez had played the lead? Would it have been as effective?