As I watched An American Rhapsody, I thought about my boys and how it would feel to suddenly have to give one of them back. They are both biological, but raising them makes them mine. On the other hand, I can’t even imagine how terrible it would be if I had to leave one behind with strangers and then miss the first six years before getting my child back.

This is the story of Eva Gardos who directs the film. Though character names are changed and the story is told through Hollywood glasses, it is based on a true story and one close to the heart of the director. In some ways that is great. Obviously this is a labor of love. In other ways, I think it makes the telling of the story harder. It’s hard to be real objective and make decisions based on what is true and what works best when you see your life unfolding on film.

The story begins when Peter and Margit make a daring escape from communist Hungary. They are able to take their older daughter who is 5 years old, but they can’t “run” with Suzanne who is an infant. The plan is for the baby to be smuggled over the country border to be reunited, but the plan does not work out.

Peter and Margit settle in California, and Suzanne is left out in a farm town with Jeno and Teri for safekeeping. While the runaway family works to make a life in the safe world in the United States and to get Suzanne back, the childless pheasant couple love and raise Suzanne. The contrast is huge. Suzanne’s family is living in California in the 60s where life is on the fast track. Suzanne lives a quiet life playing with farm animals and sleeping with her second parents.

After six years, the US government helps bring Suzanne across the ocean, but no one tells Jeno and Teri. And, no one tells Suzanne that she is moving for good. The entire move is hard. It’s hard for Jeno and Teri. It’s hard for Margit and Peter. And, it’s especially hard on a little 6-year-old who thinks that she will return to Momma and Pappa in Hungary in time to start school.

This was where I began to think about my boys and how I would handle something like this. I would like to think that I would never have made the decision to run and catch up with my baby later, but it seemed reasonable based on the information given. By the time the plan had failed, it was pretty much impossible to make changes. All the families involved could do was hope. Teri hoped to keep her little girl, and Margit hoped to get her little girl back. Both fathers were portrayed as more understanding and open to whatever might happen. I guess men in that time frame were more close about emotions though it was obvious that they both loved Suzanne.

Adapting to America was hard for Suzanne. She had never seen TV or eaten a hamburger. Although she did become Americanized, she never did feel that she “belonged.” This became a real problem when she hit her teens. Teen years are hard for most, but those years were ultra hard for Suzanne who held an idealic image of Hungary and her second parents in her head. Ultimately, she insisted on going back to where she had been raised to see her second parents. Her father had promised when she was 6 years old, and she pushed for that promise as a 15-year-old.

The climax is when Suzanne must decide whether to stay in Hungary or return to America. I won’t give this part away, but I will say that it is not as strong as the earlier parts of the movie. It just seems a little too simple and not as heartfelt as it should have.

This is a really good video. It spotlights a hard time in history in other parts of the world. It gives some insight into what it has taken for many to become a part of this nation. It also puts a human face and heart on immigration. Even if things are awful in your country, it is still your country. It would be hard to pick up and leave and especially for a child to make that kind of move.

There were some gaps in the movie. Margit tended to be very emotionless or overly emotional. The men characters were a little too nice to be true. The home life in Hungary was pretty much perfect while the home life in America was smoking and boys. Suzanne made some big leaps without a lot of set up. She skips from 6 years to 15 during a scene on the park swing. That’s a big leap for an audience.

Artistically, the beginning of the movie is in black and white. It shifts to color when the family gets over to America. The early parts are in Hungarian and captioned while the later parts are in English with some Hungarian phrases. The transitions are smooth, so it’s not even very noticeable when things shift.

My guess is that this video would appeal most to women and especially to women who have children. The audience is not limited though, and Caleb (12 yrs) enjoyed the video a lot too. He also loved Sound of Music and watches the history channel. Eli (age 9) skipped out after about 10 minutes (and during the black and white portion). He is still more of a Disney and cartoon kid.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12