Amreeka

In its best moments, "Amreeka" shares a few cultural insights.

Among these is the observation that supposedly "foreign" cultures are living lives that can be every bit as humdrum and "boring" as ours.

Admittedly, the comedy-drama stumbles a few times when it tries to get too cutesy or to lighten up its tone.

Yet the movie is honest about the way it depicts family relationships and racial prejudices. A believable and fresh-faced cast also helps in that regard.

Newcomer Nisreen Faour stars as Muna Farah, a single mother who's been living in a Palestinian-occupied section of Bethlehem.

Muna has recently gotten permission to come to the United States, and to bring her teenage son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), with her.

The duo is headed to Illinois to live with Muna's sister, Raghda (Hiam Abbass), and physician brother-in-law, Nabeel (Yussuf Abu-Warda).

Muna plans to stay with them until she can afford her own place. Unfortunately, she's already lost thousands of dollars she was saving for the trip. And Muna is having a hard time finding a job.

In the meantime, Fadi is having hard time fitting into high school class — in spite the best efforts of his more streetwise cousin, Salma (Alia Shawkat, from "Whip It").

Screenwriter/director Cherien Dabis based these characters and situations on her real-life family, which has Palestinian and Jordanian origins.

That helps explain why at times the movie has a real ring of truth to it.

But it's Faour and Muallem — both of whom are making their American film debuts — who help hold our interest. Their performances and very natural and unforced.

(By the way, for those who are wondering about the film's title, it's an Arabic term for "America.")

"Amreeka" is rated PG-13 and features scattered strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), drug content and references (marijuana, narcotics and supplements), some brief violent content (a pair of scuffles, as well as a pratfall), derogatory language and slurs (based on racial heritage, ethnicity and nationality), and some suggestive language and references. Running time: 97 minutes.

e-mail: jeff@desnews.com