In director Ry Russo-Young’s 2019 adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s novel, two teens race against the clock of civil injustice to discover if true love is just a figment of a poet’s imagination while exploring the eclectic crevices of New York City. The film tells the story of a girl (Yara Shahidi) who is using every resource in the book to save her family from deportation. In the process, she meets a boy (Charles Melton) who is hoping to fulfill his parents’ wishes as a first-generation Ivy League student and future doctor. At its best, this film breathes life into the “laughing not to cry” moments that come along with being a young man or woman of color in a world not built to embrace cultural differences. At other times, it fulfills the gooyeness one expects from a romantic comedy that has its main characters’ best intentions in mind. The pacing can be quick, but overall this film will warm the heart of any hopeless romantic.
The Sun Is Also a Star
PG-13 • 1 hour 40 min • 2019
