Under the Same Moon has managed to turn a social and political issue — the illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States — into a touching human drama, all seen through the eyes of a little boy.

Nine-year-old boy Carlitos (Adrin Alonso) lives with grandmother in Mexico. His mother Rosario (Kate del Castillo) is working illegally as a maid in Los Angeles. The only thing she looks forward to in her life is to be able to talk to him on the phone every Sunday morning.

But when Grandma unexpectedly dies, young Carlitos decides to cross the Mexican border into the United States to search for his mother. Along the way, he meets a multitude of characters who want to assist or exploit him...

Mexican director Patricia Riggen and screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos have done a commendable job of portraying the Mexican community in Los Angeles. They draw numerous character portraits of people in dire straits and living on the edge. They give a human face — many human faces, in fact — to the pressing social issue facing Americans.

The film is boosted by the strong central performance of young Adrin Alonso, who is cute, bright, brave and needful of his mother's love.