This Is Not a Cesar Chavez Movie Review

By Victor Landa, NewsTaco

I’m an avid film fan. I’ll watch a movie every weekend – I like them that much. But that doesn’t make me a critic, or a reviewer. So as a not-reviewer I’ll say this: I liked the Cesar Chavez movie. But that’s because I know the Chavez story and I was anxious to see it portrayed on the big screen. If not for that, I’m not sure what my thoughts would be.

The problem with bio-flicks is that they leave many people unsatisfied, no mater what the filmmaker does or doesn’t do. The fact that the Chavez family endorsed this particular filmmaker carries weight. And still there are people who find holes in the overall narrative: that it downplays Dolores Huerta’s role; that it ignores Chavez’s “wet line” and his early anti-undocumented stance … I’ve heard more criticisms, but you get the idea.

More than the movie, though, I’ve enjoyed bobbing in its wake. I mention the movie and people are quick to tell me how they knew Cesar Chavez, marched with him, saw him, heard him, boycotted grapes or donated to his cause. It’s evidence of how he touched so many people’s lives, or of how so many people will be quick to claim proximity to an icon. I take people at their word, so if they tell me they handed him a taco, I’ll believe it.

Maybe that’s why this movie matters, because of its wake. Historical accuracy aside, technical persniketyness  notwithstanding, it’s gotten us talking about an important part of U.S. history in a personal way. That happens to be my favorite part of watching movies, talking about them afterwards – that may be my expertise. So as an after-movie talk reviewer I give Cesar Chavez 4 stars. Not 5. But it can change. If this movie gives us cause to keep talking – about issues, about commitment, about our history – I’ll give it the other star.