Day #6 - Spanglish

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371246/

Spanglish is one of my favorite movies of all time - I rarely hear anyone talk about it but I think it is INCREDIBLE and everyone should see it! I'm using today as my day for watching a movie I've already seen :)

To me, this movie is all about communication - specifically, difficulties in communication. The movie starts with a wealthy American family...Tea Leoni, Adam Sandler and their two amazing kids...hiring a Mexican woman, played by Paz Vega, to take care of their home. She speaks very little English so that is the obvious communication problem. Tea Leoni is the mother, and is absolutely hilarious and is played so ridiculously well - she is neurotic and an emotional basketcase - because of this, she starts having marital problems with her husband, Adam Sandler. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE him in this movie. He's so adorable and wonderful - almost like a victim in his own household. So not only do you have the communication barrier based on language, but also the distance growing between a husband and wife. Throw in the complicated relationship between the mother and her young daughter, and you get a great story.

As the movie progresses, Fleur becomes more and more a part of the family. She has a very difficult relationship with Deb, the mother, because as Fleur's daughter moves in with the family, their parenting skills become blatantly different. Fleur's daughter, Christina, becomes tempted by the lifestyle that Deb presents to her, and Fleur struggles to keep her true to herself. The husband also struggles with temptation in his developing feelings towards Fleur, as does she. I won't ruin any endings but it is lovely and wonderful and FOR ONCE a somewhat realistic ending, not gooey gumdrops and sunshine.

I'm CRAZY about the acting in this movie - I adore everyone. Adam Sandler is endearing, Tea Leoni is perfect - and Cloris Leachman plays her mother SO WELL - she is absolutely the comedy in the movie :) The girl who plays Christina, Fleur's daughter, is surprisingly compelling for being so young and I love her relationship with her mother.

Here is what Roger Ebert had to say about Tea Leoni's portrayal of Deb:

Consider Deborah Clasky, the mother of the Los Angeles family. She is played by Tea Leoni like an

explosion at the multiple personalities factory. She is kind, enlightened and politically correct. She is also

hysterical, manic and a drama queen whose daily life is besieged by one crisis after another. I am not sure

this character has any connection to a possible human being, but as a phenomenon, it's kind of amazing;

Deborah doesn't just go over the top, she waves goodbye as she disappears into cuckoo-land. Somehow

Leoni is able to play Deborah without frothing at the mouth, and indeed makes her kind of lovable.

Here are some great quotes:

Deb's Mother to Deb: Lately, your low self-esteem is just good common sense.

John to Fleur: They should name a gender after you. Looking at you doesn't do it, staring is the only way that makes sense. And trying not to blink so you don't miss anything. And all of that and you're you. It's just that you are drop dead crazy gorgeous! So much so, that I'm actually considering looking at you again before we finish up here!