Alamo Drafthouse is back…sort of. They have social distancing protocols in place which lets you enjoy what makes them special yet it was rather weird, and a bummer. Jennifer really wanted to see this movie while I wanted to get back to enjoying something I greatly miss…seeing movies in a theater!
Yellow Rose tells the tale of a young woman (obviously named Rose) from the Philippines that loves Country music, mainly the Honky-Tonk branch. However, this world is somewhat untenable as she and her mother survive by working in a hotel around Bastrop (an hour from Austin by car). Like most Asian children, Rose’s mother pushes her to excel in school so it will lead to college and on to a more lucrative career; singing/playing guitar is a waste of time.
Then Rose’s friend Elliot helps her out by telling mom they’re going to a church function when in reality they’re headed to the Broken Spoke in Austin to see Dale Watson perform. Too bad Elliot’s sense of direction sucks. The beloved venue is way down on South Lamar yet they spend a good amount of time exploring South Congress and other landmarks near downtown, probably to establish they’re in Austin for audiences outside of Texas. They get in with fake IDs (not sure if this is feasible), they dance, they drink, they meet Dale Watson! Meanwhile, ICE raids the hotel and arrests mom because she hasn’t answered a court summons in a while about her illegal status. Now Rose has nowhere to live and needs to avoid ICE or she’ll get sent back to Manilla; somewhere she hasn’t been since she was a baby.
Mom feared the day would come and gives Rose instructions to look up an Aunt Gail in Austin. The reunion is pretty sour. Gail and mom had a falling out long ago plus Gail’s husband is an asshole who doesn’t want anything to do with Rose. So Rose heads back to the streets (not recommended in Austin) and is miraculously taken by the Honky Tonk culture. From there you need to watch what happens. Will Rose give in to her mom’s demand to return to the Philippines? Will she follow her heart and become a songwriter with the help of Dale Watson? Will she find a compromise? Will she end up joining Austin’s vast homeless population living under our many interstate bridges? Will Elliot be stuck in the friend zone?
Overall, I liked this movie. It’s formulaic. It makes its point on how ICE going after gainfully employed immigrants is asinine with a sledgehammer. It puts Austin in a nice light but please don’t move here. Rose a few touches putting it above the schlock the Hallmark Channel or Netflix are cranking out. It’s a predominantly Austin-based production which didn’t need Georgia-sized Hollywood welfare to be made, therefore it receives a big endorsement from me.
Alamo Extras: Primarily performances of numerous Country Music acts. I didn’t have my infamous notebook with me to write them down. Maybe I’ll remember if there’s a next time. I continue to hold out for this CV-19 to end.