Many movies offer beautiful images or beautiful performances, but very view deliver beautiful values. The new heart-tugging, crowd-pleaser “Bella” constitutes a radiant exception. Sweet, sentimental, and unabashedly pro-life, this little independent picture beat out several Oscar-nominated, star-studded competitors – including “Babel,” “Little Children,” and “The Last King of Scotland” – to win the coveted “People’s Choice Award” at he Toronto Film Festival. Nevertheless, the lack of big-name talent kept “Bella” from reaching your local multiplex – until now. The story centers on a fired waitress in New York City, spending one golden day with a moody chef who takes her out of town to meet his parents. The celebration of family, food, music, gratitude to God and the vibrant, spicy elements of Latino culture, makes “Bella” – for all its melodramatic elements – an unforgettable experience. Those who yearn for more life-affirming messages in entertainment owe it to themselves, and o our culture, to see and support this cinematic labor of love.

Bella opens across the country today, Friday, October 25th.

It's rated PG-13 for brief, disturbing images of a tragic accident, and thematic elements of pregnancy outside marriage.