Father knows best? It would appear so, at least from this “gem of a movie” as the poster proclaims. It also proclaims, “Friendship has no religion.” On both proclamations, I would agree without reservation.
Set in a most diverse neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, this is a fascinating account of the lives of two young women from very different backgrounds and different religious and social mores. While they set out to be teachers, these two young women learn from each other and even from their students in recognizing that it is possible to hold on to one’s differences and still co-exist peacefully.
But what is most intriguing is the manner in which their families set out to “arrange” their marriages– not at all unlike the arranging that goes on to this day in my own country of birth: India. The arrangements aren’t always successful, but sometimes they work out very well– my own parents’ being a case in point! But back to these two– they conform, rebel, and then conform again– most of it portrayed as a natural progression of a journey of seeking ones’ self and learning what it is they truly wish to identify with.
And what they discover is one of the oldest truths in the universe: love can seek you out sometimes even when you turn your back on it. Such are the beauties and ironies of life. Arranged carefully and in a most serendipitous way.
