CRISSCROSS

Set in Key West in the early 1960’s, CRISSCROSS tells the story of twelve-year old Chris Cross, whose Vietnam veteran father deserted him and his mother. In the daytime, Chris’s mother works as a waitress and at night, she dances in a strip joint. One night, Chris follows his mom to her night job and watches her go through her performance. Sick, he determines to “save” her from that kind of work. Since he already has a job picking up fish from a local shrimper and has discovered cocaine inside the fish, Chris gets involved in drug dealing. However, as Chris tries to complete a deal, his customers turn on him. Fortunately, his mom’s new love, Joe, turns out to be a government agent who rescues Chris. Chris’s sentence is lenient, and his mom changes her occupation.

CRISSCROSS provides an apt example of the confusion rampant in our humanistic age. Once more, the child is portrayed as wiser than his parents, though he chooses to deal drugs to help his mother, so even his example is unworthy. The movie is well-crafted, with excellent cinematography and competent acting. However, the premise, moral ambiguity and immoral elements in the film fatally undermine its quality.