Maryam (2002)

Synopsis: Opening with a montage of news footage of the Islamic revolution in Iran and the exile of the Shah, set to The Cars' "Good Times Roll," MARYAM depicts the patriotic fervor and anti-Iranian sentiment of America in 1979 through the eyes of an assimilated Iranian American teenage girl (Mariam... Opening with a montage of news footage of the Islamic revolution in Iran and the exile of the Shah, set to The Cars' "Good Times Roll," MARYAM depicts the patriotic fervor and anti-Iranian sentiment of America in 1979 through the eyes of an assimilated Iranian American teenage girl (Mariam Parris) who, like most teens, only wants to fit in. Her suburban existence is slightly shaken by the arrival of her cousin, Ali (David Ackert), a fundamentalist Muslim who has come to the U.S. to attend grad school. Ali reveals a terrible family secret that Maryam's mother (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and father (Shaun Toub) have kept from her. The family's peaceful middle class life is thrown into turmoil when the hostage crisis in Iran brings the bigotry in their white suburban community to the fore. Parris delivers a strong and sympathetic performance as a shy, pretty teen whose growing political and personal awareness brings on an emotional upheaval. First-time writer-director Ramin Serry has created a deeply personal film about an international crisis. His treatment of the subject is fair-minded and insightful. Working with a limited budget, he captures the specific flavor of 1979 and the universal angst of adolescence with equal aplomb. [More]