James L. Brooks is a humanist before he is a humorist. He is willing to study his characters for as long as it takes before the humor emerges. In "Spanglish", the writer-director takes a very typical Southland situation -- a Latina housekeeper gets hired in a troubled and pampered Anglo household -- then gets past the stereotypes as swiftly as possible to delve into issues of child-rearing and cultural estrangement in a comic take on "family values" that has nothing to do with the hijacking of that term by the radical right.
The picture belongs to Spanish actress Paz Vega, as dazzling as she is improbable as the poor Mexican maid. Yet there is genuinely fine acting -- yes, acting -- from Adam Sandler to go along with terrific supporting turns by Tea Leoni and Cloris Leachman. No doubt about it, Brooks is solidly in charge of this feel-good fairy tale as he gets terrific performances from everyone including two super-talented child actors. "Spanglish" looks like a holiday hit for Sony.
The film doesn't act like a fairy tale, but how else to explain the frequent suspension of reality? Take the simple matter of language -- which, as the title indicates, is the basis for much of the confusion, comedy and cultural clashes. Flor (Vega), an illegal immigrant, speaks not a word of English, yet is hired on the spot by Deborah Clasky (Leoni) to take care of the family's Bel-Air home and two young children.
One can at least ascribe this implausible hiring to the whims of an insecure wife going through a nutty stage of life. But what explains her husband, John (Sandler), a top chef in New York and now L.A., speaking no Spanish? No chef can operate in restaurant kitchens in either city without a working knowledge of Spanish.
Yet unless Brooks turns a blind eye to reality, he will lose the movie's funniest and most touching scene: A heated argument erupts between John and Flor, which her daughter, Cristina (Shelbie Bruce), must rapidly translate back and forth with the skill of a U.N. translator along with the abrupt gesture and attitudes of each adult.
The film is told in flashback by Cristina, a narration (delivered by Aimee Garcia) supposedly lifted from her admission letter for a scholarship to Princeton. She tells of her mother's determination not to get involved with the lives of her employers, a resolution eroded by time. When Deborah, suffering from low self-esteem after losing her job, deliberately buys clothes a size too small for her slightly overweight daughter Bernice (Sarah Steele), Flor is appalled and quickly alters the clothes so they fit.
When the Claskys rent a beach house in Malibu for the summer, Deborah demands that Flor move in. Learning for the first time that Flor has a daughter, she insists that Cristina move in, too. The minute Cristina, as gorgeous as her mother, walks into the house, a competition for her affection erupts between Deborah and Flor. When Deborah takes her shopping, Cristina declares that Deborah is "the most amazing white woman" she has ever met. Meanwhile, Flor is furious because Deborah never asked permission to take her daughter.
John intervenes, which causes Flor to see a side in a male she has never seen before. Here is a man comfortable with his own emotions and compassion for others. "To someone with firsthand knowledge of Latin machismo," says the narrator, "he seemed to have the emotions of a Mexican ... woman."
Observing all of this like a witty Greek chorus is Deborah's mom Evelyn (Leachman), who drinks all day but carefully disguises her inebriation. Alcohol does not cloud her eyes or judgment, though, as she sees trouble in the family with more clarity than anyone else. Her daughter, suffering from a weird combination of narcissism and self-loathing, is a Loose Cannon about to sabotage her own marriage.
Pressure builds when a New York restaurant critic drops by John's establishment and commits the foul deed of declaring in his review that John is the best chef in America. Suddenly, the demand for tables and John's time grows exponentially. He resists though, forking over 20% of his restaurant to his sous chef to keep time for his family.
Brooks lets these conflicts and competing desires play out without pushing things. While dealing with serious themes, the movie seems almost easygoing. Ultimately, the film is about how two culturally different families approach parenting, and the discovery that here there is no language barrier. Along the way, the movie explores the problem of assimilation. Does one fit in by becoming a Latin version of an Anglo? Or does one embrace parts of an alien culture while maintaining a hold on one's own?
As a writer, Brooks has never fully escaped his TV sitcom background. But the situations and comedy are fresh enough here that this is a most forgivable sin. The crisis, where Deborah's self-destructive behavior momentarily frees John to give into in his growing affection for Flor, arrives logically without artifice or fake melodrama.
All tech credits are top notch, especially Ida Random's production design and Hans Zimmer's music, both of which incorporate Mexican and American influences.
SPANGLISH
Columbia Pictures
Gracie Films
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: James L. Brooks
Producers: James L. Brooks, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell
Executive producer: Joan Bradshaw, Christy Haubegger
Director of photography: John Seale
Production designer: Ida Random
Music: Hans Zimmer
Costume designer: Shay Cunliffe, Louise Mingenbach
Editor: Richard Marks
Cast:
John Clasky: Adam Sandler
Deborah Clasky: Tea Leoni
Flor: Paz Vega
Evelyn: Cloris Leachman
Cristina: Shelbie Bruce
Bernice: Sarah Steele
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time --131 minutes...
The picture belongs to Spanish actress Paz Vega, as dazzling as she is improbable as the poor Mexican maid. Yet there is genuinely fine acting -- yes, acting -- from Adam Sandler to go along with terrific supporting turns by Tea Leoni and Cloris Leachman. No doubt about it, Brooks is solidly in charge of this feel-good fairy tale as he gets terrific performances from everyone including two super-talented child actors. "Spanglish" looks like a holiday hit for Sony.
The film doesn't act like a fairy tale, but how else to explain the frequent suspension of reality? Take the simple matter of language -- which, as the title indicates, is the basis for much of the confusion, comedy and cultural clashes. Flor (Vega), an illegal immigrant, speaks not a word of English, yet is hired on the spot by Deborah Clasky (Leoni) to take care of the family's Bel-Air home and two young children.
One can at least ascribe this implausible hiring to the whims of an insecure wife going through a nutty stage of life. But what explains her husband, John (Sandler), a top chef in New York and now L.A., speaking no Spanish? No chef can operate in restaurant kitchens in either city without a working knowledge of Spanish.
Yet unless Brooks turns a blind eye to reality, he will lose the movie's funniest and most touching scene: A heated argument erupts between John and Flor, which her daughter, Cristina (Shelbie Bruce), must rapidly translate back and forth with the skill of a U.N. translator along with the abrupt gesture and attitudes of each adult.
The film is told in flashback by Cristina, a narration (delivered by Aimee Garcia) supposedly lifted from her admission letter for a scholarship to Princeton. She tells of her mother's determination not to get involved with the lives of her employers, a resolution eroded by time. When Deborah, suffering from low self-esteem after losing her job, deliberately buys clothes a size too small for her slightly overweight daughter Bernice (Sarah Steele), Flor is appalled and quickly alters the clothes so they fit.
When the Claskys rent a beach house in Malibu for the summer, Deborah demands that Flor move in. Learning for the first time that Flor has a daughter, she insists that Cristina move in, too. The minute Cristina, as gorgeous as her mother, walks into the house, a competition for her affection erupts between Deborah and Flor. When Deborah takes her shopping, Cristina declares that Deborah is "the most amazing white woman" she has ever met. Meanwhile, Flor is furious because Deborah never asked permission to take her daughter.
John intervenes, which causes Flor to see a side in a male she has never seen before. Here is a man comfortable with his own emotions and compassion for others. "To someone with firsthand knowledge of Latin machismo," says the narrator, "he seemed to have the emotions of a Mexican ... woman."
Observing all of this like a witty Greek chorus is Deborah's mom Evelyn (Leachman), who drinks all day but carefully disguises her inebriation. Alcohol does not cloud her eyes or judgment, though, as she sees trouble in the family with more clarity than anyone else. Her daughter, suffering from a weird combination of narcissism and self-loathing, is a Loose Cannon about to sabotage her own marriage.
Pressure builds when a New York restaurant critic drops by John's establishment and commits the foul deed of declaring in his review that John is the best chef in America. Suddenly, the demand for tables and John's time grows exponentially. He resists though, forking over 20% of his restaurant to his sous chef to keep time for his family.
Brooks lets these conflicts and competing desires play out without pushing things. While dealing with serious themes, the movie seems almost easygoing. Ultimately, the film is about how two culturally different families approach parenting, and the discovery that here there is no language barrier. Along the way, the movie explores the problem of assimilation. Does one fit in by becoming a Latin version of an Anglo? Or does one embrace parts of an alien culture while maintaining a hold on one's own?
As a writer, Brooks has never fully escaped his TV sitcom background. But the situations and comedy are fresh enough here that this is a most forgivable sin. The crisis, where Deborah's self-destructive behavior momentarily frees John to give into in his growing affection for Flor, arrives logically without artifice or fake melodrama.
All tech credits are top notch, especially Ida Random's production design and Hans Zimmer's music, both of which incorporate Mexican and American influences.
SPANGLISH
Columbia Pictures
Gracie Films
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: James L. Brooks
Producers: James L. Brooks, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell
Executive producer: Joan Bradshaw, Christy Haubegger
Director of photography: John Seale
Production designer: Ida Random
Music: Hans Zimmer
Costume designer: Shay Cunliffe, Louise Mingenbach
Editor: Richard Marks
Cast:
John Clasky: Adam Sandler
Deborah Clasky: Tea Leoni
Flor: Paz Vega
Evelyn: Cloris Leachman
Cristina: Shelbie Bruce
Bernice: Sarah Steele
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time --131 minutes...
- 12/30/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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