The author Sayles who directed the film Lone Star is a movie based in Texas that touches on aspects in critical areas such as the history and boundaries of the borders between Mexico and Texas. In the 1800’s Texas fought Mexico to gain independence which is how the name Lone Star came about. Sayles tells a story that unfolds the conflicts that characters such as Mercedes, Pilar, and Sam all dealt with in the town of Frontera Texas. The film explores many themes related to crossing borders such as cross-cultural relationships, social boundaries, and the history of an immigrant.
Mercedes struggles throughout the film with social boundaries and has trouble fitting in with the Mexican community. She realizes, too, the necessity of speaking her native language when the injured woman crossing over the Rio Grande River needs help but does not speak English. Enrique (Mercedes employee) takes the initiative and runs over to Mercedes to ask for help; quickly after that, you will see in the film Mercedes say “In English, Enrique. We're in the United States” (Lone Star). Mercedes is trying to suppress her Mexican heritage and the fact that she came to Texas on illegal terms. Another time when Mercedes has a social issue is when Enrique speaks Spanish about her car. Instantly she insisted he speak English. The restaurant owned by Mercedes, employs an American work ethic but serves Mexican food, becomes a metaphor for her modern cultural harmony and social boundaries as she struggles throughout the film.
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The concept of cross-cultural relationships is shown in the film by the relationship between Pilar and Sam. Pilar is a Mexican-American and Sam is from Frontera Texas. They had a past relationship when they were younger and in the film, find a renewed romance between each other. This idea also contributes to the conflicts between races. Mercedes was never fond of her daughter's relationship with Sam and she shows a bit of hostility towards Sam. Since Sam is a white man from Frontera she has not liked the idea of her daughter being with him ever since they were teenagers and still in their renewed romance, as they are older. Pilar and Sam's relationship was not about cross-cultural issues it was more about a secret that Mercedes was hiding. In the film Sayles comments, “A border is where you draw a line and say “This is where I end and somebody else Begins” (West) about cross-cultural relationships among other themes within the film. All along cross-culture was in the family but Mercedes would do all she could to hide the truth from Pilar.
Mercedes was on the other side of the Mexico border as an immigrant before crossing the Rio Grande River to Texas. In the film, Pilar asks her mom to take a trip down south so she can visit where she grew up but instantly Mercedes responds with aggression stating” Why would I want to go there if you want to see Mexicans look all around you” (Lone Star). Mercedes owns an American-based restaurant that is run by immigrants and she claims that all her workers have green cards. While at work Mercedes makes it a point to say “If they are going to survive here, they have to know how to work” (Lone Star). These comments show Mercedes is dealing with the frustration and pressure of her alien heritage. In the film, Mercedes has a reflection on her own life as an immigrant and realizes that she is a part of both cultures as her daughter is as well. With this film, John Sayles has captured the reality of yesterday and the present sting of being an outsider, an immigrant. By choosing to help the immigrants out rather than reporting them, Mercedes risks the respect and business she has gained through her loyalty to the American culture and finally shows allegiance to her Mexican heritage.
Sayles entwines all the different lives together into and out of families, then with families of differing backgrounds such as Mexicans and Texans. As the film unfolds, Sam and Pilar both share an intimate relationship and soon find out by the end of the film they are indeed half-brother and sister. The film reflects on both past and present views of such characters and how social boundaries, immigrants, and cross-cultural issues are still around in today's times. “There is nothing new in the social order to prevent the legal and moral consummation of their love” (Magowan). Many people may have different views on how the film ended because Mexican culture and history would have not allowed the relationship that unfolded between Pilar and Sam. However, Sayles's film Lone Star shows shown diversity of cross-culture and the history of immigration and brings the past to the present times.
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