In “Windows on the World,” Edward James Olmos portrays a Mexican father and grandfather who leaves his family behind and heads to New York looking for employment.

Director Michael D. Olmos’ movie Windows on the World could be described as Don Quixote meets Moscow on the Hudson in the wake of 9/11.

The film opens with Balthazar, a Mexican father and grandfather portrayed by the director’s father, Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver, Battlestar Galactica), leaving for New York City to earn money for his family. On 9/11, he is working as a busboy at the Windows on the World restaurant atop the World Trade Center.

Back in Mazatlán, his family is horrified by the footage played again and again on TV. After his wife thinks she spots Balthazar fleeing the carnage, his younger son, Fernando (Ryan Guzman), heads to New York to search for the family patriarch.

Quest for Truth

Fernando is on a quest, as the film reminds us with references to Don Quixote throughout.

Balthazar gives Fernando two copies of the book – one English; one Spanish – before leaving for New York. It appears to be a metaphor for how Balthazar works tirelessly to support his family even as the world appears to be stacked against him. Indeed, he tells his son something to the effect of: “I work so that you can read.”

The elder Olmos may be the big name associated with Windows on the World, but it’s Guzman who carries the water for the narrative. An athlete and model, he has acted on a number of television shows, most notably 9-1-1 and Pretty Little Liars. In Windows on the World, he subtly conveys Fernando’s quixotic qualities – but in a muted, down-to-earth way that fits the tone of the post-9/11 setting.

Throughout Fernando’s journey, his honest, chivalrous, hardworking nature provides hope in spite of the odds against him. For instance, Fernando must cross the border illegally. As his group treks through the Arizona desert, he turns back to assist a straggling woman with two small children. His good karma is rewarded soon after, when the group is offered a ride by an older couple in a pickup truck. Similarly, on the streets of New York, Fernando intervenes to prevent a bike theft and, in turn, receives a job offer from the bike’s owner.

Just as Fernando’s honesty and work ethic earn him an income, his dignity and humor (and perhaps his good looks) win him the attention of the lovely Lia, who works in a boutique he enters to find a memorial candle for Balthazar. It’s hardly a rom-com meet-cute given the pall hanging over post-9/11 New York, but things progress as each small step by one is matched by the other. Fernando comports himself with dignity and chivalry, hiding the fact that he is sleeping in an alley at that point. If Lia suspects, she keeps it to herself. Her approach to Fernando is grounded, offering him incremental opportunities to know her better and learn about life in America, while also assisting him in the search for Balthazar.

Supporting Actors

Chelsea Gilligan and Glynn Turman give strong performances as Lia and Fernando’s Nigerian boss, Lou.

Characters played by Ryan Guzman and Chelsea Gilligan fall in love in “Windows on the World.”

Gilligan will turn 28 next month and has been working for almost a decade, mostly in guest roles on television. Her performance is right on pitch for Windows on the World, making me think that audiences will see more of her.

Turman (The Wire, House of Lies, A Different World) is a “that guy.” He’s been acting for decades, and his name may be vaguely familiar. But when you see his face, you think, “Oh, that guy!” He’s a pro, and he’s spot on as Lou, Fernando’s employer, mentor, eventual landlord and guide to the multinational world of immigrant New York.

Richard Cabral (Mayans M.C.) also makes a strong impression as Domingo, Fernando’s companion and philosophical foil during the trip across the border.

Because his goal is simply to find out if Balthazar is alive and, if so, bring him home, Fernando isn’t emotionally invested in the immigrant experience. Through his eyes, viewers get a dispassionate view of illegal immigration, as well as the good and bad in people on its fringes. It’s notable that Fernando carries both editions of Don Quixote, English and Spanish, in his satchel as if to underscore that there are goodhearted folks on both sides of the cultural divide.

Eventually, Fernando completes his quest. I won’t reveal whether he does so happily or sadly, but the film engages its viewers to the end. It even left me imagining an epilogue.

Note

Windows on the World won a Director’s Choice Award for Best Humanitarian Film at the 2019 Sedona International Film Festival.

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Stu Robinson practices writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications. 

Tags: Chelsea Gilligan, Don Quixote, Edward James Olmos, Glynn Turman, immigration, Michael D. Olmos, Richard Cabral, Ryan Guzman, Windows on the World