This indie coming-of-age and immigrant-experience story seems promising, but unfortunately isn't as good as it should be.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 23, 2021

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 7, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 7, 2005

The Joy Luck Club did the "white people are ignorant" story with less obviousness

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 15, 2003

Director Gene Cajayon, with co-writer John Manal Castro and a charming cast, continually subverts expectations.

| Nov 15, 2002

Mostly the situations, albeit compressed, ring true; the characters are admirably multi-dimensional, and there are welcome doses of humor that compensate for any contrivances.

Full Review | Nov 15, 2002

That it feels so predictable is, ironically, a tribute to the universality of the experience it explores.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 18, 2002

An earnest and predictable little indie.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 18, 2002

A neat blend of well-drawn major characters and drama, music, dance, romance and humor that generates considerable charm and achieves a heartwarming resolution of its generational conflict.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 17, 2002

The film has a sweet low-budget quality that sometimes slips into 온라인카지노추천-movie schmaltz.

| Oct 15, 2002

Predictable but heartfelt, and valuable in that it is one of the first Filipino-American productions.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 10, 2002

For all its familiarity, The Debut (an unfortunately bland and vague title) is a film from the heart...

| Original Score: B- | Aug 16, 2002

Celebrates community and family, and does so in such a warm-hearted way that its formulaic nature is easily forgiven.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 16, 2002

Familiar in its story arc, but fresh in its energy and lucky in its choice of actors.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 22, 2002

A delightful coming-of-age film that becomes universal by way of its subject matter.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 21, 2002

A creakily familiar take on an age-old family dynamic.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 8, 2002

A heartfelt, crowd-pleaser of a story.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 19, 2001

The unabashed earnestness of everyone involved allows you to forgive some of the shortcomings.

| Oct 5, 2001

A universal coming-of-age story as illuminating as it is entertaining.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 5, 2001

All involved seem keyed into the subtextual subtleties of a story that, while simple on the surface, is exceedingly rich underneath.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2001