Bella, a terrific film about adoption and abortion, is not a huge blockbuster — it is an artistic movie that surprised everyone by winning the Toronto Film Festival. But it has done extremely well so far since its October 26 release, and it is well worth seeing.

The film — shot in three weeks on a shoestring budget — has expanded from 165 theaters to 186, and grossed nearly $2.6 million. It’s promotion budget was virtually nil: a single television ad ran two weeks ago during the show “Ugly Betty.” Word of mouth has propelled its successful run with a high average per screen.

I don’t often make it to the theater, but I did go for the opening night of this one. It’s a beautiful and touching film that will change a lot of hearts. It is said to have saved at least a few children in the womb already. The star, Mexican actor Eduardo Verastegui, is an excellent actor with, I hope, a big future in English-speaking cinema.