San Diego Reader

Once the screenplay was finished, it was time to let the studios figure out why they needed to say no. They did their job, but Schwartz persisted and eventually found a home for the project at IPW, an independent production company. IPW landed Miller and Savin; Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, and Dennis Farina signed on, and hey presto, Schwartz and Pabon needed something they could wear to Sundance.

A few days before heading to Utah, they got their first look at the finished product. “I guess this happens a lot with Sundance,” said Schwartz. “You’re working on the film up until the last second. It’s a very funny story — which we intended — and I think Randy Miller captured the tone of what we wanted. He nailed it.” Added Pabon, “It was exactly how I had envisioned telling the story. I knew the ending, and I was still rooting for them. It had a really good emotional component that drew you in. It told the immigrant story, the Gustavo story. It accomplished all the things I had envisioned in the very beginning.”

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