THE GROWN-UPS

Anita, Andrés, Rita, and Ricardo attend a school for people with Down syndrome and mainly spend their days making desserts in catering class. Level-headed Anita is thoroughly bored of this predictable routine. She’s been at the school for 40 years and yearns to do something else. Plus, she and her boyfriend Andrés want to get married. But they face opposition from the church and their families. Ricardo, too, dreams of owning a house one day but struggles with saving up enough money despite working two low-paying jobs. And Rita grapples with mastering the skills needed to achieve independence. Each person longs for the emotional autonomy afforded to those considered adult. Yet, their caretakers still consider them children and don’t see their dreams and desires as legitimate. Still, THE GROWN-UPS treats its main subjects with respect. Their voices, perspectives, and self-advocacy are front and center, driving the narrative without pity or condescension. This gives the documentary an empathetic and nonjudgmental tone, which makes its heartbreaks and triumphs that much more acute. (In Spanish with subtitles) —A.Z.