A Better Life
2011 · 98 min · Director: Chris Weitz
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Carlos Galindo is a decent man, a Mexican single parent working as a gardener in California to raise Luis, his fourteen-year-old son, whom Carlos is frightened will drift into local gang culture. Carlos buys a truck for his work with money loaned by his sister but a shifty new employee steals it from him and, though Carlos and Luis track the thief down, he has sold the truck. Father and son bond as they reclaim the vehicle from the pound but Carlos attracts police attention, making his future in America uncertain when it is discovered that he is an undocumented immigrant.
Emotional fingerprint
A Better Life (2011) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Empathy 35%, Sadness 25%, Hope 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Empathy, Sadness, Hope. Genres: Drama, Romance. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Empathy, Sadness and Hope. Its IMDb rating of 7.2/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 73/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Love
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Love
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Love |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Empathy | 46 % | 37 % | 20 % | 16 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Tension | 52 % | 40 % | 28 % | 13 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 17′ | Empathy | 48 % | 38 % | 28 % | 11 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 22′ | Tension | 45 % | 35 % | 19 % | 16 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 27′ | Hope | 51 % | 43 % | 16 % | 30 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Hope | 52 % | 46 % | 18 % | 39 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 37′ | Hope | 57 % | 51 % | 28 % | 41 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 42′ | Tension | 67 % | 55 % | 34 % | 36 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 47′ | Tension | 63 % | 48 % | 30 % | 23 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 51′ | Empathy | 52 % | 43 % | 30 % | 18 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 56′ | Empathy | 54 % | 45 % | 35 % | 21 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 61′ | Tension | 66 % | 50 % | 36 % | 28 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 66′ | Love | 71 % | 51 % | 26 % | 40 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 71′ | Tension | 75 % | 53 % | 25 % | 40 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 76′ | Tension | 76 % | 61 % | 49 % | 29 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 81′ | Sadness | 77 % | 71 % | 69 % | 35 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 86′ | Sadness | 84 % | 79 % | 76 % | 58 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 91′ | Sadness | 90 % | 85 % | 83 % | 75 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 96′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Santiago
Linda
Gigi
Details
- Directed by
- Chris Weitz
- Written by
- Eric Eason, Roger L. Simon
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2011
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Empathy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Free
Rent
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