I must admit that it took a little while for "Spanglish" to completely win me over - but win me over it did thanks to its sharply observed social commentary and winning performances by a first-rate cast. At first, the film threatens to be swept away by a tidal wave of stereotypical characters and clichés, but it doesn't take long for the subtleties and complexities to kick in and to lift the movie to a higher level.
This is James L. Brooks' witty take on the cultural divide that separates the "master class" from the "servant class," in multi-ethnic Los Angeles. The Hispanic side of the equation is represented by Flor Moreno (Paz Vega), a gorgeous single mother living in Mexico who heads to America to start a new life for herself and her daughter. Eventually, despite the fact that she cannot speak English, Flor finds a job as a fulltime housekeeper and nanny for a wealthy white family named the Claskys. The wife, Deborah (Tea Leoni), is a deeply neurotic limousine liberal who drives her family crazy with her obsessive compulsiveness and lack of a clear mental focus. Her husband, John, is a mild-mannered master chef who has become completely exasperated by the intensely mercurial nature of his wife's behavior and moods, and who yearns for nothing more than a little peace and harmony on the home front. The Claskys also have a sweet-tempered but homely daughter, Bernice, who bonds with Flor's beautiful daughter, Christina, who narrates the tale.
What distinguishes "Spanglish" from so many other American comedies is its staunch refusal to adhere to a cookie-cutter formula. Brooks has written a screenplay that allows the characters room to breathe and to interact with one another in complex and surprising ways. He doesn't even feel the need to tie up all the loose ends in the closing minutes. He is perfectly willing to let the characters continue to live their lives even after the closing credits have scrolled by. What he captures best is the subtle tug-of-war that develops between the two mothers over their respective daughters, particularly Deborah's intense devotion to Christina, which seems partly a result of a genuine desire to help her get ahead in life, and partly an unconscious preference for this beautiful child over her own overweight daughter. Brooks understands the sore spots inherent in parent/child interactions as well as relationships in general. Naturally, a romantic attraction eventually develops between John and Flor, but one that is handled with charm, delicacy and tact.
Sandler and Vega give warmth, touching performances, and Shelbie Bruce, Sarah Steele and Cloris Leachman offer superb support. Leoni starts off so over-the-top that one fears she will throw the entire movie off-kilter. But damned if she doesn't grow on you, as she turns what could have been a psychological gargoyle into a sympathetic woman filled with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.
Happily, the humor in the film arises naturally from the characters and situations and almost never feels desperate or forced. And, indeed, there are some very hearty laughs generously laced throughout the movie.
"Spanglish' doesn't try to "solve" the ethnic and race relations problems that still plague America's largest cities. However, in its own quiet, humor-filled way, it reminds us that the caste system is still very much a reality in a country that prides itself on its supposed lack of class-consciousness.
This is James L. Brooks' witty take on the cultural divide that separates the "master class" from the "servant class," in multi-ethnic Los Angeles. The Hispanic side of the equation is represented by Flor Moreno (Paz Vega), a gorgeous single mother living in Mexico who heads to America to start a new life for herself and her daughter. Eventually, despite the fact that she cannot speak English, Flor finds a job as a fulltime housekeeper and nanny for a wealthy white family named the Claskys. The wife, Deborah (Tea Leoni), is a deeply neurotic limousine liberal who drives her family crazy with her obsessive compulsiveness and lack of a clear mental focus. Her husband, John, is a mild-mannered master chef who has become completely exasperated by the intensely mercurial nature of his wife's behavior and moods, and who yearns for nothing more than a little peace and harmony on the home front. The Claskys also have a sweet-tempered but homely daughter, Bernice, who bonds with Flor's beautiful daughter, Christina, who narrates the tale.
What distinguishes "Spanglish" from so many other American comedies is its staunch refusal to adhere to a cookie-cutter formula. Brooks has written a screenplay that allows the characters room to breathe and to interact with one another in complex and surprising ways. He doesn't even feel the need to tie up all the loose ends in the closing minutes. He is perfectly willing to let the characters continue to live their lives even after the closing credits have scrolled by. What he captures best is the subtle tug-of-war that develops between the two mothers over their respective daughters, particularly Deborah's intense devotion to Christina, which seems partly a result of a genuine desire to help her get ahead in life, and partly an unconscious preference for this beautiful child over her own overweight daughter. Brooks understands the sore spots inherent in parent/child interactions as well as relationships in general. Naturally, a romantic attraction eventually develops between John and Flor, but one that is handled with charm, delicacy and tact.
Sandler and Vega give warmth, touching performances, and Shelbie Bruce, Sarah Steele and Cloris Leachman offer superb support. Leoni starts off so over-the-top that one fears she will throw the entire movie off-kilter. But damned if she doesn't grow on you, as she turns what could have been a psychological gargoyle into a sympathetic woman filled with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.
Happily, the humor in the film arises naturally from the characters and situations and almost never feels desperate or forced. And, indeed, there are some very hearty laughs generously laced throughout the movie.
"Spanglish' doesn't try to "solve" the ethnic and race relations problems that still plague America's largest cities. However, in its own quiet, humor-filled way, it reminds us that the caste system is still very much a reality in a country that prides itself on its supposed lack of class-consciousness.