Y tu mamá también tells the story of Tenoch, Julio, and Luisa as they journey towards the fictitious Boca del Cielo ("Heaven's Mouth"). Ultimately, the film uses the concept of a road trip to highlight issues of class within Mexican culture and the prevalence of death. Moreover, the trip allows each of these characters to experience freedoms that they would not get to enjoy in their daily life. Before the trip, Luisa is thrown a curve ball when she finds out her husband is cheating on her and we later discover that she has cancer. The boys find themselves wanting to continue to have teenage fun, but are facing societal pressures to grow up. However, once they begin the road trip, it empowers and liberates them, especially as they travel on …show more content…
At the beginning of the film, when the boys are driving on the road, there is mention of a construction worker who was hit by a car while trying to take a shortcut to get to his job. The narrator describes how the man, Marcelino Escutia, was hit by a speeding bus because the pedestrian bridge was too far and lengthened his trip. The gruesome scene of his dead body is shot in a way that makes it seem like we are the camera watching the scene unfold. This scene then transitions to one discussing Tenoch and his home life. The next few scenes depict his grandiose home and the staff that takes care of it. Both these scenes demonstrate the contrast between the high and working classes of Mexico. You go from one scene of a working man who gets run over to an expensive home taken care of by maids and gardeners. Later on in the film, as the boys and Luisa are traveling, they pass by the birthplace of Tenoch’s nanny, Leo. He would call his nanny, mommy, until he was four years old. However, he did not mention this to his fellow passengers. These brief moments of authenticity demonstrate how class disparity is not easily overlooked and unsaid, as they are quite normal in Mexican