Film Review: Yellow Rose

Eva Noblezada in Yellow Rose (Sony Pictures)

Writer-Director, Diane Paragas’ new offering Yellow Rose, is a visually poetic and heartfelt film that tells a story of small-town Texas teen Rose Garcia (Eva Noblezada), an undocumented Filipino, who dreams of becoming a country music singer. Her sheltered life is turned upside down when her mother, Priscilla (Princess Punzalan), is arrested during an ICE raid. 

At one point, Priscilla chillingly utters that “things have changed”. This sentiment echoes throughout the film, which paints a bleak contrast to the ‘American Dream’ that many immigrants have made many sacrifices for. It shows that the days of the idyllic coming-of-age stories we grew up with are gone. We now have a generation that is coming into their own in a world that is far more complicated, and more dangerous than ever before, especially for the most vulnerable.

In the midst of the crisis, there is a budding relationship between Rose and her crush, Elliot (Liam Booth). I was frustrated with this love-story as it felt a little shoe-horned into the central narrative. When they are finally honest about their feelings for each other, there’s no satisfying payoff. Perhaps because this storyline is eclipsed by the more pressing things Rose is faced with, such as running away from ICE (who seem to be always around the corner) and navigating her own survival.

Noblezada is enchanting as Rose. She is already a Broadway powerhouse, and this proves that she is also a certified movie star. Christopher H. Knight’s songs in this film are stellar, that country music can be used to perfectly express a young Filipina teens’ experience, hits deeply. I will have this movie’s soundtrack playing on repeat for the next little while. 

Paragas offers us a view into the world of a young woman who is reconciling her Texas upbringing with her Filipino background, melding the two cultures into her very own, specific, third culture. As a third culture kid myself, this movie was a big sigh of relief. As BIPOC we have been so starved for representation, that we made do with stereotypes and tropes for a while. This movie speaks to a movement towards deeper authenticity and it is about time. I am so grateful to see Rose’s complex story so thoughtfully and lovingly told. Watch this film, Yellow Rose is just the kind of story we need in the new normal.

Yellow Rose opened in theatres only October 9, 2020.
Find show times here.
We encourage readers to support this film when it becomes available online, as many movie theatres are currently closed in Canada.