Based on Katherine Paterson's 1980 YA novel, Jacob Have I Loved stars Bridget Fonda (in a role considerably different from her roles in Scandal and Strapless) as Sarah Louise Bradshaw, or as her twin sister calls her, just plain "Weese." Set on a Chesapeake Bay island during WWII, the story follows the differences between the sisters-Caroline, the gifted singer, for whom the family spares no expense; and "Weese" the tomboy, the first-born who was robbed of her birthright. When Captain Hiram Wallace, a long-gone sailor whom local townfolk branded a coward because he cut down his mast during a storm, suddenly returns to the island, he and "Weese" strike up a friendship. A friendship that is sorely tested when the Captain gives the Bradshaws money to help pay for Caroline's singing lessons in Baltimore. One of the Wonderwork programs, Jacob Have I Loved is a keen look at sibling rivalry, and a young girl's coming of age, directed with a sure hand by Victoria Hochberg. Also directed by Hochberg is another Wonderworks program, Sweet I5, a film which begins amiably enough and then turns into an emotional rollercoaster. Sweet 15 tells the story of Marta Velacruz (Karla Montana), a nearly 15-year-old Mexican American girl who is preparing to celebrate her "quince," her 15th birthday-which, in Mexico, is accompanied by a mass, and marks the transition from girl to woman. Her father, Samuel (Tony Plana), has just been promoted upstairs at the shipping dock, and the prospects for the family look very good indeed. During the planning, however, Marta becomes interested in Ramon Sanchez (Panchito Gomez), a Puerto Rican boy who is a few years older than her, and reputed to be a "wild" one. Samuel steps in, and the age-old struggle between a girl, her beau, and her father begins in earnest. Throughout, a subplot follows the unfortunate tribulations of Jorge, an illegal immigrant who is struggling to hold onto jobs during a period when immigration officials have stepped up their raids. Marta and her friends, for fun, like to drop by warehouses and shout "migra" (police) just to see the illegals run. Eventually, the other shoe drops, and Marta, doing part-time work for Amnesty International (the organization which helps immigrants gain citizenship) runs across her father's application-a secret he has kept from his children. How the disparate threads of Marta's party, her relationship with the "bad boy" Ramon, and her father's illegal status are tied together makes for one of the most satisfying and heartening resolutions in recent YA films. If you're going to watch this one, get out your handkerchiefs. Both of these low-priced titles would make excellent additions to YA collections, especially Sweet 15, and are highly recommended. (See THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT for availability.)
Jacob Have I Loved; Sweet 15
1989) 58 m. $29.95. Wonderworks/Films Inc. Public performance rights included. Vol. 5, Issue 7
Jacob Have I Loved; Sweet 15
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