Spanglish (2004)

I saw Spanglish Saturday night (12/11/04). It was a preview and I haven't seen any critical reviews yet. I liked it enough to give it a 8 out of 10. It's a comedy with enough serious moments to give a person time to pause and think. Young girl emigrates with her mom from Mexico and settles in California. Mom (being in America illegally) settles as a housekeeper for Sandler and Leoni. She's baffled by the monied existence of the upper classes and how it effects her daughter. I thought that Paz Vega is excellent as the mom. Adam Sandler holds back and plays a compassionate father. Cloris Leachman is great and should be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress. The revelation to me is Tea Leoni. I thought that she was great as the waspish/blond mom/wife who feels that she's not getting enough respect at home.

Fmovies: Gregory Nava's "El Norte" was a memorable journey into the Latino experience in white wealthy country. That masterpiece had a heartbreaking scene between the Latino maid and a washing machine. "Spanglish" merely hints to a similar moment between the Latino maid and a coffee machine. The "merely hinting" is at the heart of this painful comedy of manners. This is the journey of an observer not of someone who actually lived it. As a consequence he treats his own with an iron hand and the others with a romantic, heroic, fairy taleish sort of slant. Putting aside the potential seriousness of the story, the film is a moving, entertainment fantasy in the land of opulence and guilt. The borders here are not geographic but personal, the aliens are the natives. They become illegal in their own existence and step all over their own lives without noticing, trying to care, trying to be the best they can possibly be but without points of reference or enough substance for their acts to have any kind of real meaning. Tea Leoni gives a performance of such fearlessness that sometimes you feel she may jump out of the screen. Cloris Leachman is great as an alcoholic wise woman who doesn't want to be judged. Paz Vega represents the ideal Latin heroine in a wealthy American's story. She is beautiful and powerful and utterly unlikely. Adam Sandler is Adam Sandler and seems to stand passively between the blonder than blond world of his wife and the exotic gorgeousness world of his maid. I would like to know what happened to Paz and her daughter after leaving behind the chances to be or become like everyone else in the white wealthy country of make believe, or is that too much to ask.

SPANGLISH - a term with negative connotation to numerous Spanish-Americans (or at least to the first generation or older immigrants).

As the title implies, the movie makes a very interesting and subtle social commentary about the Mexican American dynamics/contrast in society. Obviously as expected, the film illustrates a few stereotypes. For example, when Florrr's (played by Paz Vega) cousin, Cecilia hit the sliding glass door and her nose bled, the wife Deborah Clasky (played by Tia Leone) offered her money instead. It's sad but true in today's society.

But what make the film interesting are its subtleties. For instance the casting and the characters itself. The producers could have hired a blonde blue eyed male lead instead of Adam Sandler, but they did not. Why? Because Sandler's character (John Clasky) is an antithesis of the wife, Deborah Clasky. She's blonde blue eyed superficial, emotionally disturbed, patronizing, solipsistic, white housewife, who the writer ( Brooks )probably wants to portray as the epitome of everything that is bad about white people - or Americans for that matter (however exaggerated they portrayed her to be). You can empathize with the husband's character and Adam Sandler played it very well. It's interesting to note, the husbands character's last name is Clasky - possibly his ancestors were immigrants as well. And his character is portrayed as someone who "gets it", someone who understands Florrr - an immigrant mother who wants her daughter raised with her own values and integrity even though she is only a lowly servant to the Clasky's.

One of the interesting scenes in the film that I found very clever was the argument between Florrrr and John. It showed the two sides of the dynamic. While I was watching it I thought to myself, any other individual would immediately apologize and patronize the immigrant housemaid in the expense of goodwill. But I was surprised that Sandler's character actually called her a "hypocrite" instead, and she realized he has a point. Not to criticize her (it's probably what Deborah would have done) would be hypocritical as well. This is another social commentary that was written very well and cleverly portrayed in the film.

The acting is equally superb. You could just hate some of the characters specially the housewife and the daughter Cristina Moreno (played by Shelbie Bruce). You can just empathize with Adam Sandler's character and his daughter, Bernice. The only people amongst the Claskys that is very adult. The grandmother's character on the other hand (played by Cloris Leachman ) whose always drinking provides a respite to the insanity in the story and ironically always the unobtrusive and yet emphatic character despite how she lived her life. In the end she was the voice of reason for the wife.

Equally, the dialogue is worth mentioning. Interestingly, there are no subtitles on all the Spanish spoken dialogue but the audience can kind of get the gist of what's being said or argued. It can be distracting to some audiences but thankfully, Florrr's character learned to speak English in the second half of the film. Also, the Spanish without subtitles added a few good scenes in the film and added a positive credence to the title SPANGLISH. It illustrates how to write the quintessential part of the screenplay without making it too cliché.

Overall, I liked this film. If you can look at it in the same light as I saw the film, you would enjoy it too a

Spanglish fmovies. I was looking forward to see this movie ever since I found out Jim Brooks was a part of it. Again, he shows us real life characters with dialog we can all relate to. Acting is superb in this movie! Adam Sandler plays a great passive, yet warm and sensitive character. I fell in love with Paz Vega's character, Flor. I applaud Jim Brook's decision to cast an actress, who like the character, does not speak any English. I feel it gave a deeper sense of reality to the film. I was also very impressed with Sarah Steele's performance as the overweight daughter, Bernice. Her smile lit up the screen! Do I think this is a great movie? Depends what you consider a great movie to be. It is NOT a movie in which the ending resolves all issues, neither does it make you think or reflect on your own life repeatedly after viewing it. However, it does make you laugh, cry, and lose yourself within the characters and situations for 2 hours. Those are the kind of movies I cherish and love to watch again, which is why I give this film a 9.

........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA...and ORLANDO, FL

Here, Spanglish is not a mixture of the two languages, but instead, more of an encounter, and yes, at times, a clash between two cultures: That of "Gringos" and of Latinos! More than anything else, Spanglish speaks to all Hispanics of just how hard living in the United States can be, at times. To assimilate into its culture without losing ones Latin roots. The film manages to do so in a most convincing and believable way, highlighting some of the positive values of Latino culture, but, at the same time, respecting the dignity of all the characters in the film, while avoiding most, but not all, of the ridiculous stereotypes that abound in Hollywood!

There is most certainly something in Spanglish for every member of your family! (There is one brief scene of a loving marriage encounter, but not graphic in the least.) The cast is fabulous. Spaniard Paz Vega appears quite natural and convincing as Mexican Flor Moreno. Adam Sandler shows definite versatility as both a dramatic and comedic actor. Tea Leoni, here almost outshines everyone in her role of a rather endearing but neurotic American housewife. And the young, Shelbie Bruce, playing the role of Flor's daughter, Cristina, waxes totally bilingual/bi-cultural.

However, do not let your previewing expectations get too high! Regardless of being a must see film for all Hispanics who live, have lived or who have had an extended stay in the U.S., Spanglish does have its flaws. Producer/director/writer, James L. Brooks, despite having directed such classics as Broadcast News, As Good As It Gets and Terms of Endearment, seems, at times. to have become too enamored of his own work, resulting In some excesses. The film drags on for over 2 hours. It would have been a more enjoyable film if Brooks had left at least 10 or 15 minutes on the cutting room floor.

Spanglish also suffers from moments of poor writing and direction of its principle characters, with too many mugging facial close-ups. These exaggerated expressions often did not seem the least bit natural. Spanglish also Tried to convince us that someone can go from a beginner in English to someone with tremendous proficiency in a breezy 2 or 3 months! Even taking a 50 hour per week immersion course, that's a pretty tall order! If it were that easy, everyone would speak five languages, right? (As the owner/director of language institutes for 40 years, believe me, I'm an EXPERT!)

Despite its flaws, Spanglish is guaranteed to have a decidedly positive impact! 7.5*......ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

I was very surprised by this movie. Amidst the well written comedy scenes, there are many LIFE-IMPACTING conversations. If you pay attention to this movie, I think you will learn something about yourself, about cultural differences, about Responsibility....All while having a good time and a few laughs. Go see it. I think Paz Vega is a stand-out in her first big Hollywood appearance. Adam Sandler is good, and he certainly could deliver more emotion. Mrs. Leoni overacts and becomes quite bothersome (which I think IS the point!). There is something for everyone here. The daughter does a super-fine acting job, and she is clearly headed into bigger roles. She delivers some subtle scenes of conflicting emotions. Go see it !!