The Perez Family (1995)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Mira Nair

Writers (WGA):

Christine Bell (novel)
Robin Swicord (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 May 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

On the way to finding a family, she found love.

Plot:

In an attempt to secure a sponsor, an unlikely group of Cuban refugees become a "family" as the U.S...

Plot Keywords:

Political Prisoner | Love | Immigration | Hispanic | Immigrant

Cast

Marisa Tomei	...	Dorita Evita Perez
Alfred Molina	...	Juan Raul Perez
Anjelica Huston	...	Carmela Perez
Chazz Palminteri	...	Lt. John Pirelli
Trini Alvarado	...	Teresa Perez
Celia Cruz	...	Luz Pat
Ranjit Chowdhry	...	Indian immigration official
Diego Wallraff	...	Angel Diaz
Ellen Cleghorne	...	Officer Rhoades
Angela Lanza	...	Flavia
Jose Felipe Padron	...	Felipe Perez
Lázaro Pérez	...	Armando 'Papi' Perez
Bill Sage	...	Steve Steverino
Vincent Gallo	...	Orlando
Billy Hopkins	...	Father Aiden

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

UK:113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Coral Gables, Florida, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón was supposed to be directing this film, but pulled out before production started.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dottie goes to make out with the security guard at the bar, the first wide shot shows her without her orange pants on, just black panties. In the next shot, she is wearing her pants, then the security guard precedes to pull them down, showing the black panties previously shown from a far distance in the first wide shot.

Movie Connections:

Features Angel and the Badman (1947)

Marisa sizzles!

This excellent film came out at the same time as the similar titled "My Family." How interesting it always is when twin films come out that way. Sometimes one film is completely ignored, other times the two films split their limited audiences and neither really take off. Such as the case with these two films. Both were excellent films with similar marketing campaigns, but Marisa Tomei in "The Perez Family" is what makes this film the superior of the two. As Dottie Perez, Marisa Tomei is sizzling hot, as sexy as anything to dance across the screen in decades, and simply dissolves into her character. If Marisa Tomei won a Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny" (which she did), then her performance here, in comparison, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize! I dare any one, male or female, to watch this film and not fall instantly in love with every inch of her. Our entire family adores this film and Marisa Tomei's performance.