Spanglish Review
by Harvey S. Karten (harveycritic AT cs DOT com)December 13th, 2004
SPANGLISH
Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten
Columbia Pictures/ Gracie Films
Grade: B
Directed by: James L. Brooks
Written by: James L. Brooks
Cast: Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Shelbie Bruce, Sarah Steele Screened at: Sony, NYC, 12/10/04
"Spanglish" is a comedy but happily, it's anything but a sitcom. Don't expect to see Adam Sandler tripping or make adolescent jokes. He still comes across as nerdy, but in James L. Brooks's interpretation, he has a lot going for him, not the least of which is that a New York Times critic gives his restaurant four stars and calls him "the best chef in the United States." Whether John Clasky (Adam Sandler) would appeal to the tall, beautiful and classy Deborah Clasksy (Tea Leoni) requires a suspension of disbelief, as do many aspects of this beautifully photographed but credibility-flawed movie. Perhaps Deborah's low self esteem, her tendency to become melodramatic and teary at the drop of a hat, explains her "settling" for someone who, despite his culinary mastery, appears not to be a member of her class.
At first "Spanglish" has the look of Gregory Nava's incredible 1983 film "El Norte," a sweeping emotional saga of a brother and sister who leave their violence-torn village in Guatemala to find a better life in The North. Though getting to America is the first half of Nava's tale, James L. Brooks gets his characters from the Mexican border to L.A. in no time flat, as Flor (Paz Vega) and her daughter Cristina (Shelbie Bruce) cross over a hill and settle in, taking up residence in the Mexican-American community in the City of Angels. After spending some years on a job at $450 a week, she is interviewed for a new gig by Deborah, who, when she is not out shopping spends time in her spacious home with her husband, John, her mother, Evelyn (Cloris Leachman) one son and her articulate and vocal daughter Bernice (Sarah Steele).
Though generally this is not a laugh-out-loud sort of film, the funniest scene, one that pinpoints the cultural angst between a Mexican and an Anglo, takes place when John and Flor have an argument, speaking in English and Spanish respectively, while their fully bilingual daughter Cristina not only translates but adopts the exact gestures of the arguing couple–even stamping her foot in anger to impress those arguments that are against her own self-interest.
The film, which boasts fine ensemble acting, is framed by Cristina's narration (voice of Aimee Garcia), articulating the required essay on her application to Princeton University many years after her experience with the Clasky family in L.A. Among the points she goes over–which should indeed impress the admissions office in New Jersey by its details and sincerity–is the way Flor took it upon herself to let out the stitching in clothing that Bernice's mother bought for her daughter, deliberately making the dress a size too small to encourage the overweight girl to get into shape. A key episode, one which helps impress young Cristina with the person (Deborah) she considers "the most amazing white woman ever," leads to an argument between Deborah and Flor, since the mistress of the house in effect "kidnaped" the girl for a day of fun without her mother's permission.
While "Spanglish" embraces two types of parenting, the most serious theme rests on matters of a national-cultural nature. Should an immigrant (in this case an undocumented one) keep a hold on the culture of the land in which she grew up while considering herself at base an outsider in her new country, or should she throw off where she "came from" and assimilate wholly into the culture that has given her a good life? Watching the way the story pans out, one is tempted to be dismayed by the large number of immigrants to America who talk of "in my country..." as though "my country" is not the U.S. at all. When Flor ultimately takes action to make sure her smart little girl, who has totally embraced the American way and loves the private school she is attending on scholarship, does not forget where she came from, some in the audience are as likely as me to lose quite a bit of sympathy for the gorgeous Flor.
Hans Zimmer's non-intrusive music, with themes from both Mexican and American influences, maintains the film's ambience, and did I mention that Paz Vega's Flor must be one of the most beautiful women in cinema today?
Rated PG-13. 131 minutes. © 2004 by Harvey Karten
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