Casa de los Babys

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Casa de los Babys ★★★ 2003

(R) Sayles's quiet, insightful look at adoption, poverty, politics and international trade as five diverse American women wait (and wait) at a local motel nicknamed Casa de Los Babys to adopt children in an unnamed South American country. Each has a particular reason for adoption: Fitness freak Skipper (Hannah) has had three miscarriages while Jennifer (Gyllenhaal) hopes adoption will help her ailing marriage. Rounding out the gang of expectant mothers are the hardened singlemom to be Leslie (Taylor); Steenburgen's alcoholic Gayle; and the extremely disagreeable Nan (Harden), Memorably poignant scene as the Irish Eileen and the Latina Asuncion (Lynch and Martinez, respectively) bond over heartfelt exchanges in a language that neither can understand. 95m/C VHS, DVD . US Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marcia Gay Harden, Daryl Hannah, Susan Lynch, Mary Steenburgen, Lili Taylor, Rita Moreno, Vanessa Martinez; D: John Sayles; W: John Sayles; C: Mauricio Rubinstein; M: Mason Daring.