Spanglish – 3 Stars (Good)
Spanglish is a relationship movie with a surprising ending where the two main characters in the movie actually do the right thing.
The plot is about a Mexican woman who emigrates to the United States with her daughter after a failed relationship in search of a better life. She becomes a housekeeper for a luxury family with some relationship problems and becomes emotionally involved with her husband.
The husband (Adam Sandler) and housekeeper (Paz Vega) nearly lose him but don’t act on their impulses, ultimately separating and the husband returns to his dysfunctional wife (Tea Leoni) and their two children, and the housekeeper Moving on to another chapter of your life.
This is very different from Hollywood, where the Tinsel Town filmmakers seem to not get enough sex, violence, and obscenity into a movie like this with no regard for ethics, values, or morality.
Everyone who really matters in this movie is sensitive, except for the wife (who should know better) and the housekeeper’s daughter (who is young and immature).
All you need to know about the cruel wife is that she buys her daughter new clothes that are two sizes too small as an incentive for her to lose weight. The daughter is overweight and unattractive, but she is also smart, sensitive, and funny. The wife then manages to fall into an illicit affair due to her insecurity and poor self-image.
The role of wife Deborah is so out of character that she is an amazing character involved in what is otherwise a good movie with some great messages. I give Tea Leoni credit for taking on this despicable role and showing that you can blow an air gun into her ear and feel a steady breeze coming from the other side.
The husband, who becomes a celebrity chef, comes across as empty at times, but also shows some sensitivity, understanding and compassion, while his wife is completely self-absorbed. I would watch this movie again and be further shocked by the wife’s character, activity, and decision-making.
It’s great to see Adam Sandler in a more serious acting effort than another dumb and stupid comedy like Punch-Drunk Love. Sandler may not be Hollywood’s answer to the next great actor, but he’s capable of more than just great comedy; we have to find out how much more.
Spanglish doesn’t benefit from its title at all, which springs from a combination of Spanish and English (the housekeeper in the movie initially trusts her daughter to speak English because she can’t). In fact, there was a translator on the set because Paz Vega didn’t speak English and James L. Brooks (the director) didn’t speak Spanish.
Unfortunately, the title seems cute and sophomore and tells us nothing about the nature of the film or its message. The title, which could have helped build an audience for the film, does not induce any emotion or imagination. Spanglish picked up a couple of awards, but you won’t find any major Oscar nominations or awards here.
The movie is written and directed by James L. Brooks, usually a recipe for a terrible movie, but Brooks has broken the mold.
Brooks may be the first writer/director I haven’t deliberately criticized because of a terrible product. He manages to tell a story worth watching and makes the characters seem more real and involved when it matters, rather than wasting footage with another mindless sex scene to boost ratings.
Many Americans love sex, filth, and violence. If you don’t believe it, watch a movie, turn on your TV, or play a video game (they do it because consumers almost demand it). Give Brooks credit for drawing the line and making the characters more important than any ratings they might generate.
Copyright © 2006 Ed Bagley
