The plot of the film is very similar to that of "Bicycle Thieves", which centers around a man and his son searching for a stolen bicycle vital to the man's job.
Director Chris Weitz liked to do all the dangerous scenes in the script before he asked his cast to perform them. A stunt double taught Weitz and Demián Bichir how to climb a palm tree, and although Weitz was first to successfully climb one, Bichir did go on to film all the scenes himself, without a stunt double. Weitz told the audience at a SAG Screening: "That is why in my films there are not many scenes that require stunt doubles".
Bichir was nominated for Best Actor for the 2012 Oscars.
When Carlos looks at the money wire receipt in Santiago's possession, the name of the wire transfer service is WWJD, which is a popular acronym that stands for "What Would Jesus Do"?
Chris Weitz enlisted the help of the youth program Homeboys Industries to make sure the film was authentic as possible from the standpoint of the immigrant experience. The organization helped scout out the most realistic and appropriate locations for the film. They also helped with the language in the screenplay, making it more appropriate for the numerous diverse groups that make up Los Angeles' Hispanic population.