Across the Line (2000)

Across the Line is a 2000 American drama film directed by Martin Spottl and starring Brad Johnson and Sigal Erez. Johnson plays a small-town Texas sheriff who falls for an illegal immigrant (Erez) who witnessed a murder on the Mexican border. While not an overtly political film, Across the Line portrays illegal immigrants in a generally positive light and dramatizes their motivations and problems from a sympathetic point-of-view. In La Opinion Jean Rodriguez Flores wrote, "The film Across the Line isn't just about the difficulties of crossing illegally into the United States, but it also reflects the tragedy of hundreds of people who are forced to leave their families for the "promised land." Some critics praised the film for its emotional intensity, authenticity, and integrity, but others questioned it for turning the plight of illegal immigrants into mainstream entertainment. Independently financed and produced, Across the Line was distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment.