Screen Scene: “Amreeka”

If “Amreeka” seems like a formulaic movie ““ featuring the at times dismal, but ultimately hopeful tale of immigrants making their way to America in the hopes of forging better lives ““ that’s because it is.

The premise for “Amreeka” is somewhat depressing, and the characters and their situations are far from original. And yet, for some odd reason, the movie feels neither cliche nor too heavy. First-time director Cherien Dabis has crafted a tale that is well deserving of a viewing ““ and perhaps even praise ““ for the mediocre story she manages to tell so well.

Complete with dysfunctional families found on both sides of the globe, “Amreeka” follows the story of Muna, a single Palestinian mom, who jumps at the opportunity to live with her sister Raghda and her family in suburban Illinois, giving her the perfect chance to escape Palestine’s rigid regime and start over with her young son Fadi in a place where nearly anything seems possible.

But predictably, the American dream proves to be just that ““ a dream that overlooks the nitty-gritty details of reality, especially in the film’s post-Sept. 11 setting. American discrimination against Arabs ranges from the tactless (“Don’t blow the place up,” jokes Muna’s first interviewer) to the blatantly racist: Raghda’s husband, once a respected doctor, is losing patients faster than he can keep up with payments on the mortgage of their two-story house.

Whereas Fadi must battle stares and snide remarks from cruel teenagers at his new school, Muna faces a more problematic confrontation: She is forced to re-evaluate her own self-worth in a country where everyone she encounters seems to undermine it.

Despite holding two degrees and having worked at the same bank for more than 10 years, Muna suddenly finds herself having to make ends meet as a fast-food worker at the infamous White Castle restaurant. Too ashamed to tell even her family, Muna pretends to be a receptionist working at the building next door instead.

In the end, the plot is far less important than the experience that the film manages to drudge up. Despite the predictability of the immigrant’s everyday struggles and curve balls, the film remains both honest and refreshingly sparse without falling into the trap of being either too politically correct or overly analytical ““ a rather tantalizing feat, considering its subject matter.

As a result, “Amreeka” has the potential to resonate for anyone seeking a comforting story that’s neither too wry nor dry. Like its protagonist, “Amreeka” is warm and approachable, invoking reflection and laughs without being too self-indulgent.

Muna, the vehicle through which the Arab-American diaspora is invoked, has every reason to lose hope and faith in America, a country whose name she can’t even properly pronounce.

Despite its ambitious context, the film offers no definite truths or political commentary about American-Arab relations. Instead, its strengths lie in less solemn arenas, such as Muna’s various escapades at White Castle (“You like to lose weight?” she innocently asks one customer ordering diet soda) as well as the warmth and authenticity conveyed by all of the characters and the interactions they have with one another ““ most notably in Muna’s slightly awkward yet endearing relationship with the school’s Jewish principal, played by Joseph Ziegler. And the closing scene is not something to be missed, in part because it comes when one least expects it.

These simple yet effective moments are what make “Amreeka” fun to watch and easy to enjoy, in light of the heavy issues in the foreground, and ultimately give it room to distinguish itself from other films in the same genre. A definite formula for success? Not quite. But endearing nonetheless.

– Shirley Mak

E-mail Mak at [email protected]