Martin pries spirited performances from her young cast. She shepherds the striking Velez winningly from her stage work into an inspired film performance, and she wrenches both machismo and vulnerability from Seda. Rita Moreno also does a fine turn.

As the movie progresses, just when you think a cliché is coming, the camera wards it off by shifting to the subtler viewpoint. In this way, a bright urban comedy yields emotional truths about pride, doubt, selfhood and love.

It's a heck of a debut by a filmmaker who's obviously drawn to complex human predicaments. complex human predicaments. Besides, any film that takes "Try a Little Tenderness" as its theme song has its heart in the right place.

Funny and touching, it’s a tribute to the tenacity of mothers, the vibrancy of New York City, and the importance of community as well as family.