|
Movie Review - Spanglish (2004)
|
|
|
|
|
(What this rating means)
|
|
| |
|
| Director: |
James L. Brooks |
| Starring: |
Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, Paz Vega, and Cloris Leachman |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for some sexual content and brief language) |
| Length: |
131 minutes |
| Genre: |
Romantic Dramedy |
| Tagline: |
A comedy with a language all its own. |
| Studio: |
Gracie Films |
| Website: |
Spanglish |
| Release Date: |
December 17, 2004 |
|
PLOT
|
Flor (Vega) emigrates to Los Angeles from Mexico in order to find a better life for her and her daughter,
Cristina (Victoria Luna). She is hired by John and Deborah Clasky (Sandler and Leoni) as their
housekeeper even though she can't speak a word of English. Faced with a language barrier, a daughter who is
growing up faster than she'd like, and eccentric employers, Flor must find a way to adapt and keep her
daughter grounded in reality. A surprisingly effective Adam Sandler dramatic turn ensues.
|
|
JOHNNY'S TAKE
|
Waterboy this ain't. For some that's a good thing, for others (as evidenced by the teenagers I saw leave
the movie), it's a bad thing. For me? Hey, there's no doubt that I prefer a pure Adam Sandler comedy, but I can
handle a dramatic turn like this every once in a while, especially if it's done well. This is definitely Sandler's
attempt at trying something new, and while that may not appeal to his core fans, it just might help him find some
new ones.
The movie itself is a flashback. The narrator is Vega's daughter, and she's telling us the story of this period
of her life because the events are what got her to where she is today.
Here are the basics of what you need to know:
- Vega is a better-looking version of Penelope Cruz who initially can't speak English.
- Sandler is an excellent chef whose biggest fear is succeeding above that which he can handle. Plus,
according to Vega, he has the "emotions of a Mexican woman."
- Leoni is Sandler's somewhat crazy wife who hires Cruz to be their housekeeper.
- Cloris Leachman is Leoni's alcoholic mother who badly wants to be able to offer motherly advice.
- Children get involved and all Hades breaks loose.
Everything builds upon those five points. How will everybody deal with Vega's inability to speak English?
How will Sandler deal with the fact that his wife has hired a good-looking housekeeper with a loving, caring
heart? Why does Leoni not realize how good of a husband she has, and will there be consequences to this?
What happens when Vega's daughter moves into the house and Leoni gives her more attention than she does her
own daughter?
Tensions run high, and the cultural differences don't help. Leoni and Sandler try to give Cristine
the things their children have, but Vega is resistant. She wants sole responsibility for raising her child and
instilling values because she feels that's the only way to keep her from becoming something she isn't.
But what happens when her daughter resents this and feels her mother is ruining her life? What happens when
individuals begin to realize what and who is most important in their life? Will priorities change?
This is the most vulnerable role Sandler has played, and I think a lot of women like that side of him. Not
that I'm an expert on women's thoughts, but whenever I start talking to female friends about how hilarious it
was when Sandler punched Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore, they usually prefer to talk about how sweet it
was when he sang that "Grow Old With You" song to Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer. So it'll be
no surprise if he wins a few hearts with the genuine affection he shows his children in this movie. And
Leoni's bound to make a few enemies with the lack of affection she shows Sandler.
But neither Sandler nor Leoni (who goes a tad over-the-top at times) is the real star here. That title has to
go to Paz Vega. The acting is strong all around, but newcomer Vega really shines. I don't know how broad her
appeal will be in future mainstream movies, but she was perfect for this.
Spanglish isn't a perfect movie, and it certainly won't appeal to everyone. After all, some may find it
a tad long and too dramatic for their taste. But the characters are developed just enough, and the story is
crafted well enough, that I found myself interested in the relationships. I didn't mind the 2+ hour running
time because I wanted to see how everything would end up. I must warn you that if you want a romantic movie
that turns out EXACTLY like you want it to, then you could be disappointed. But you know, these characters
feel real, the relationships feel real, and the result is realistic. Like in life, not all loose ends
can be tied up within a 2-hour time frame.
After the movie, Stephanie asked me, "Why don't you say things like 'they need to name a gender after you'
(which Sandler says in the movie)?" I think she was mostly joking, but I replied, "I've tried, but you'd just
roll your eyes and tell me how gay that was." She admitted that was true but said within the context of the
movie with music playing in the background it's not so bad.
I suppose she's right. And on a similar note, while Spanglish is a movie that can lay on the tears
and the drama pretty thick, within the context of the story it's trying to tell, I'm man enough to admit
that hey, it's not so bad.
|
|
ODDS & ENDS
|
- Anne Bancroft was originally cast to play Téa Leoni's mom but pulled out due to reasons unbeknownst to
Johnny.
- Keep an eye out for funny pictures of Adam Sandler in the background, particularly one where he has a fro.
- Sandler seems to have put on a little chub for this movie. The double chin lets you know it's not muscle
that he's packed on.
- Johnny took Spanish in 9th and 10th grade.
- Johnny's favorite Adam Sandler movies are Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Wedding
Singer. The only Sandler movies he really doesn't like are Little Nicky and Punch Drunk Love.
- Adam Sandler was in The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore who was in
Duplex with Ben Stiller who was in Flirting with Disaster with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow
Man with Kevin Bacon.
|
|
MAMA'S APPROVAL
|
This isn't overly offensive, but there is some profanity, including one "f" word. There's also one strange love
scene that would be uncomfortable to watch with mama or children. Speaking of children, this isn't exactly the
movie for them. It's over 2 hours, and it's big on drama, so how many youngsters do you think that's gonna appeal
to?
|
|
TRAILER COMPARISON
|
I've gotta admit that I wasn't immediately sold on the movie after I first saw the trailer. My initial reaction
was, "Great, Adam Sandler wants to do drama now. WHY?!?!?!" So I have to confess that I enjoyed the movie more
than I expected to. And some of the stuff I didn't like in the trailer actually works better within the context of
the movie.
|
|
THE GIST
|
If all you're looking for is an Adam Sandler comedy in the vein of Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore,
then you could be sorely disappointed. However, if you're really curious to see Sandler try his hand at a more
dramatic, less mean-spirited role, and you don't mind a little chick flick drama that focuses heavily on
character and story development, then you might find Spanglish to be a little better than you expect.
|
|
