Spanglish (2004)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

James L. Brooks

Writer (WGA):

James L. Brooks (written by)

Release Date:

17 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A comedy with a language all its own.

Plot:

A woman and her daughter emigrate from Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family where the patriarch is a newly celebrated chef with an insecure wife.

Plot Keywords:

Housekeeper | Chef | Mexico | Princeton | Language Barrier

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Adam Sandler	...	John Clasky
Téa Leoni	...	Deborah Clasky
Paz Vega	...	Flor Moreno
Cloris Leachman	...	Evelyn Wright
Shelbie Bruce	...	Cristina Moreno
Sarah Steele	...	Bernice 'Bernie' Clasky
Ian Hyland	...	George 'Georgie' Clasky
Victoria Luna	...	Cristina Moreno - Age 6
Cecilia Suárez	...	Monica (as Cecilia Suarez)
Ricardo Molina	...	Flor's Husband
Brenda Canela	...	Luz
Eddy Martin	...	14-Year-Old Boy
Nicole Nieth	...	Hostess at Fancy Restaurant
Jamie Kaler	...	Businessman
James Lancaster	...	Businessman

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and brief language.

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | UK:12A (original rating) | Italy:T | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Norway:7 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 | Brazil:12 | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Two new scenes were shot when test audiences found the ending unsatisfying.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Paz Vega speaks Spanish, she clearly does it with a Spanish accent, not a Mexican accent. Both accents are extremely different.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Boy's Voice: [voiceover to scene of people reviewing applications] To Dean of Admission, Princeton University. The most influential person in my life...
Girl's Voice: ...is Mother Teresa, whose example helped me overcome the arrogance which threatened after my 1600 SAT score in National Merit Scholarship
Girl's Voice #2: ...most influential person taught me the most important word I've ever learned; Aloha, which I...
Narrator: To the Dean of Admission, Princeton University, from Cristina Moreno. Most influential person, my Mother, No Contest!

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Soundtrack:

Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)

A good maid is hard to find

Rich people, sometimes, feel guilty about the domestic help they must have to keep their lives in order, which seems to be what's the problem at heart in this story. In fact, some employers like Deborah go to extremes in trying to be nice to a gem she has found in Flor Moreno, the Mexican maid that speaks no English, but who has endeared herself to everyone in the household.

Deborah, a high strung neurotic woman, solves all her problems with money. Flor, on the other hand, has her feet well planted on the ground and has to be careful with her money. In fact, the problems between Deb, the employer, and Flor, the maid, come to a head when the family goes to spend their summer at a Malibu rental. It's inconvenient for Flor to go by bus, and because she has a daughter, Cristina, who she will not part with for all the money in the world. Deborah's solution is to invite Cristina, the maid's daughter to come to stay at the beach.

James L. Brooks, the writer/director of "Spanglish", shows why he is one of the top people working in movies today with this tale about class difference. We are given two strong women, Deborah, who is an unhappy person, and Flor, a woman from another culture, but one with a clear sense of what's right and wrong, with a tremendous sense of who she is and a devotion to her daughter, who she feels is being spoiled by her employer.

There's another problem in the Clasky's household. John Clasky, the head of the house is a noted chef who is completely taken for granted by Deborah. John goes along with the situation, but he has no clue as to what his wife has been doing behind his back, getting into an affair with the real estate man. Deborah completely neglects her sensitive daughter Bernice, who is overweight because of the unhappiness in her house. Also, Deborah's mother Evelyn has a drinking problem. Flor, the maid, a woman with limited education, has more common sense in dealing with all the members of the Clasky's household than Deborah.

Paz Vega, as Flor Moreno, makes a splash with her portrayal of the maid. In fact, Ms. Vega hardly speaks any English, but one doesn't even seem to notice. It's to Paz Vega's credit, making her American debut, that she steals the film from the stars of the film. This actress makes the viewer root for Flor in her efforts to save her own daughter from the excesses she sees in the Claskys.

Tea Leoni plays Deborah Clasky. Ms. Leoni gives a good performance as this confused woman who, in wanting to please her maid, irritates her by exposing young Cristina into things out of her league. Adam Sandler is good also in this more dramatic role that probably his fans will not like, but in fact, it makes perfect sense.

Young Sarah Steele is another surprise in the movie. As Berenice, the plump daughter of the Claskys, she promises to have a natural sense about acting. Cloris Leachman is Evelyn, a former jazz singer who drinks too much. Shelbie Bruce is also good as Cristina.

"Spanglish" is worth taking a look into because the situation it presents is real and Mr. Brooks inspired direction and writing.