Many earnest films have been made recently about the struggles of Latin American migrants trying to cross into the U.S. for a better tomorrow; Cruzando isn't one of them. This madcap adventure follows the journey of two Mexican no-hopers.
Cruzando chronicles the real-life hazards of such a trip but is as much a comedy as it is a drama. About a week before the birth of his first child, Manuel learns that his long-lost father is about to be executed in Texas. Against his wife's wishes he heads north, abandoning his job cleaning peep-show booths at a strip club while being tracked by the club's brutal bouncer. Manuel's videocam-toting pal Diego tags along, planning a documentary of the trek.
Mistaken identities, family traumas, and dehydration complicate Manuel's quest, but he finally learns a familiar lesson: There's no place like home - even if home is not all that great.