In the middle of all the films playing in theaters the week of Sep. 8th there was a film with a lot of heart that should not be overlooked. “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” is a film adaptation of the book of the same name written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz published in 2012. The film takes place in 1980s El Paso, Texas, and follows the journey of two boys, Aristotle and Dante, as they become friends and discover themselves and their place in the universe.

In the summer of 1987, Aristotle or Ari, played by Max Pelayo, meets Dante, played by Reese Gonzales, at the local swimming pool and Dante teaches Ari how to swim. As they spend time together and get to know each other, the usually closed off Ari starts to open up to the free-spirited Dante. They bond over both growing up in a Mexican American household and feeling like they don’t fit in.

Aristotle introduces Dante to his parents Jaime and Liliana Mendoza played by Eugenio Derbez and Veronica Falcón. For those only familiar with Derbez’s more comedic roles, his role in this film might come as a surprise as he plays a closed off father who bottles up his emotions. Ari’s parents hide from him the truth about his brother, which creates an emotional distance between Ari and his parents, especially his father. In contrast to the quiet Mendoza family Dante’s parents, Soledad and Sam Quintana, played by Eva Longoria and Kevin Alejandro, are warm and affectionate.

When the Quintana family moves away for a year, Aristotle and Dante must try to keep their friendship going. Both boys write letters to each other and update each other on their lives. Dante discovers that he is gay and hopes that Ari will still want to be friends with him, but Ari has some found feelings of his own. As the Quintana family moves back to El Paso the boys will have to deal with their newfound emotions and see if their friendship will be the same as before or will it become something new.

While the supporting cast gives great performances, the heart of the film is both Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales. They have great chemistry on screen, and both play their characters sincerely and with a lot of heart. Both handle the more dramatic moments in the film very skillfully and seem to have put a lot of care into their performances.

The film is really a beautiful exploration of the importance of not hiding or running away from your feelings and coming to terms with them. Compared to other films out right now, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” is more of a “slice of life” type of film, but that is not a weakness. The strength of the film is it’s display of the beauty of human emotions.