Resurrection Boulevard (RB) is not about boxing, romantic love and sex, gangbangers and crime, Mexican/American culture, or life in an East L.A. barrio though all are components. RB is about a family.
RB is not a soapy melodrama or silly sitcom or a gritty docudrama about a downtrodden underclass. RB is, however, a serious though somewhat sanitized attempt to show the day-to-day struggles of an all adult family and the ties that bind them; loyalty, love, heritage, and religious conviction.
Perhaps the most refreshing and satisfying aspect of RB is the way it avoids the cheap, cheesy, trite and proven ways of maintaining audience interest. There are no cliff hangers, no phony happy endings, no schmaltz or tear jerking, and no melodrama. There is, however, a staunch adherence to the true character of the shows principals and a sense of integrity and noble purpose.
The makers of RB should be commended for gambling that the transcendent humanity of the series would bridge the culture gap and satisfy the appetites of the viewing public at large sufficient to be successful. Let's hope their efforts are not in vain.
