by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
I think it’s time that we can officially proclaim that we are in awards season. Hooray! Top quality films with sincere narratives, compelling character growth, and engaging performances! I wanted to take on a film that is catching some controversial headlines after its premiere at Cannes. So let’s discuss Blue Bayou, the story of a Korean adoptee who faces deportation at the hands of ICE for being an illegal immigrant after living in the United States for over 30 years. Though the narrative might be needlessly complicated, and there are some controversies to wade through, Blue Bayou emerges as one of this year’s best emotionally gripping films to date that shines a light on important social issues.
Antonio (Justin Chon) and his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) are about to welcome a new daughter into the world. However, things aren’t perfect. Antonio has a rocky relationship with his stepdaughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske), as well as Kathy’s ex-husband, Ace (Mark O’Brien). Additionally, Antonio has trouble pulling down a job due to his history being a felon. If life wasn’t challenging enough, the whole world feels like it comes crumbling down after a confrontation with Ace leads to Antonio’s arrest and a showdown with ICE for potential deportation as our protagonist is a Korean American who was adopted at a young age, but his adopting parents never filled out the proper paperwork to make him an American citizen in the eyes of the law.
At its core, Blue Bayou is a film about the relationships we forge throughout our lives. Whether they are deep-seeded and intrinsically important to our day-to-day activities, such as those with direct family members, or casual acquaintances that you meet on the street. The people that you bump into once in a blue moon. It’s about the bonds we build, the love we foster, and how it is all so fragile if it’s stripped away. It’s a reflection on how we hold ourselves in correspondence with how we treat others. This “we” is the royal “we” as individuals that we can all relate to, but it’s also the royal “we” of my country, the United States of America. This movie forces us to take a look in the mirror as to how America treats its citizens and non-citizens alike. This movie has a lot to say, and I’m not entirely convinced that it succeeds at everything that it’s attempting to go for, though I am convinced that the movie is still emotionally resonant and empathetic.
It’s almost impossible to talk about this movie without also addressing the controversy that surrounds it. They have become one in the same — intertwined in regards to the film’s systematic importance. The main concerns I have seen surrounding this film is its inability to accurately portray its story from an Asian American perspective. Instead, it tells its story for under-educated white Americans without giving the cultures in question that needed attention and respect that they deserve. Additionally, the convoluted nature of the story obfuscates the moral conclusions that the themes are trying to draw upon. I have to say that I don’t personally agree with the first point of conjecture, though I do see merit in the second.
From the interviews I’ve seen and comments online I’ve read, this movie is apparently very true to the Vietnamese American community. It does not however showcase much of the Korean American community, which seems to be a lot of people’s sticking point, since this film does have a Korean American protagonist. But Antonio is an adoptee with no family. He was not raised as part of a Korean American community, and has no Korean American friends. He sees himself as unequivocally American, and throughout the film even shows resentment towards other Asian people. Given that’s the character we’re following, it shouldn’t be shocking that we do not see much of a Korean American community, as our character simply is not a part of one. I can say, however, that an argument could be made that the script itself should’ve been handled in a different fashion to be more inclusive to the Korean community, but that’s not what Chon wanted when writing, directing, and starring in this picture. That was his choice and we as the audience have to go along for the ride.
Continuing with the first point of contention people have with this film, as it being possibly made for a white audience, I do agree that’s the case. However, I would state that I think that’s a good thing. A pro, not a con. Now, hear me out… this is because it’s primarily white audiences that need to be educated on the subject matter of this film. It’s white people like myself who are unaware that these concerns about adoption loopholes in our immigration system even exist. You have to educate the ignorant so that positive change can occur. A story about an American man being deported after living his entire life in the United States of America, for over 30 years, is heartbreaking. In and of itself, that is tragic. It’s even more upsetting when you see the statistics that there are tens of thousands of Americans who have been deported over the years due to this loophole. So while the film might not be “made” for an Asian American audience, it still feels incredibly respectful and proud of the Asian American community. Even if there are some who are offended with the execution of how this film was made, and who the film was made for, the net positives outweigh the negatives.
The convoluted narrative that Chon put together in this movie is something that is concerning, however. To me, it feels like this movie put in a whole bunch of extra work to sell a story involving more drama than is believable on a functional level. All the while, its themes were already deep enough to tell something worthwhile without bloated complications. The idea of a husband being potentially ripped away from his family, just as he’s about to have a newborn, due to a loophole in the immigration system, is tragic enough. Adding troubles with an ex-husband, problems with the law, felony theft, contempt of court, and a litany of other conflicts feels artificially manufactured and diminishes the inherent main conflict. There were several moments of this film that I caught myself rolling my eyes at the events transpiring on screen. Instances that took me out of the movie as I found them to be utterly unbelievable. Narrative points that would’ve been better left on the cutting room floor. But with all of that said, by the time the movie did decide to get back on track with its emotional conclusion, I was on board.
The conclusion of this film melted me. It was raw and impassioned. The final conclusion and resolution to the overarching narrative is powerful enough to draw empathy from the most cold of hearts. This is the kind of power a film has. It has the ability to let people walk around in the shoes of another, to live their life’s experiences. Blue Bayou lives and thrives in this moment. Any complication surrounding the structure of the plot fades away in a sea of understanding and tears. This is because love knows no bounds. The ability to feel compassion and love for another in their time of need, even when they’re someone you might personally have issues with, is what makes us human. It is the driving point behind this movie, that even if deportations of this nature are the legal thing to do, they are far from the moral thing to do. It is inhumane to treat people this way, and I thank Blue Bayou for shining its light on such an under-reported social issue.
Beyond the thematic elements of this movie, and the over complication of the narrative structure, I do want to give credence to the performances. Frankly, if Chon and Vikander aren’t hitting the mark throughout this entire picture, this movie falls very flat. Luckily for us and the movie, they are on their game scene in and scene out. Their anguish and turmoil is palpable, and it carries the audience through the whole movie. The thought of seeing them have their family torn apart becomes so vivid and real that you would willingly reach out through the screen and fix their problems yourself if you could. Special recognition as well should be given to Kowalske. This was a brilliant performance from a child actor. She wasn’t asked to move mountains by any means, but everything she did accomplish in this movie was tremendous, and the movie is much better for her presence. Especially with the final scene at the airport, it simply does not work without her pain. Unnecessarily overstuffing this plot doesn’t take away from the weighty emotional impact of this film when anchored by such powerful work.
I’m not sure where Blue Bayou will sit at the end of the year when everything is said and done. I doubt that it will get heavy awards consideration, and I’m sure some of these controversies will unfortunately stay with the film through its lifespan. However, I can say that this is one of the better films of the year to date. It was certainly deserving of its selection at Cannes. More importantly than anything, it brings an important topic into the spotlight where, with the right political discourse behind it, things can hopefully see some real growth and change in the years to come. I definitely recommend Blue Bayou, and I hope it emotionally resonates with you as well as it did with me.
Grade: B+
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