........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA...and ORLANDO, FL Here, Spanglish is not a mixture of the two languages, but instead, more of an encounter, and yes, at times, a clash between two cultures: That of "Gringos" and of Latinos! More than anything else, Spanglish speaks to all Hispanics of just how hard living in the United States can be, at times. To assimilate into its culture without losing ones Latin roots. The film manages to do so in a most convincing and believable way, highlighting some of the positive values of Latino culture, but, at the same time, respecting the dignity of all the characters in the film, while avoiding most, but not all, of the ridiculous stereotypes that abound in Hollywood! There is most certainly something in Spanglish for every member of your family! (There is one brief scene of a loving marriage encounter, but not graphic in the least.) The cast is fabulous. Spaniard Paz Vega appears quite natural and convincing as Mexican Flor Moreno. Adam Sandler shows definite versatility as both a dramatic and comedic actor. Tea Leoni, here almost outshines everyone in her role of a rather endearing but neurotic American housewife. And the young, Shelbie Bruce, playing the role of Flor's daughter, Cristina, waxes totally bilingual/bi-cultural.However, do not let your previewing expectations get too high! Regardless of being a must see film for all Hispanics who live, have lived or who have had an extended stay in the U.S., Spanglish does have its flaws. Producer/director/writer, James L. Brooks, despite having directed such classics as Broadcast News, As Good As It Gets and Terms of Endearment, seems, at times. to have become too enamored of his own work, resulting In some excesses. The film drags on for over 2 hours. It would have been a more enjoyable film if Brooks had left at least 10 or 15 minutes on the cutting room floor.Spanglish also suffers from moments of poor writing and direction of its principle characters, with too many mugging facial close-ups. These exaggerated expressions often did not seem the least bit natural. Spanglish also Tried to convince us that someone can go from a beginner in English to someone with tremendous proficiency in a breezy 2 or 3 months! Even taking a 50 hour per week immersion course, that's a pretty tall order! If it were that easy, everyone would speak five languages, right? (As the owner/director of language institutes for 40 years, believe me, I'm an EXPERT!) Despite its flaws, Spanglish is guaranteed to have a decidedly positive impact! 7.5*......ENJOY/DISFRUTELA! Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

This touching drama with comedy throughout is a view of relationships that build with time, trust and character. Paz Vega is sincere, wide- eyed and curious, yet fearful of stepping out of what she knows as a Mexican lady who struggles with cultural conflicts with raising her bilingual daughter who herself is anxious to mix both of her cultures. As the maid to Tea Leoni, a neurotic Bel Air housewife who takes many liberties with her role as Vega's employer, especially with Vega's daughter, Shelbie Bruce, Vega becomes more important to everyone in the household. As Leoni becomes increasingly difficult, Vega spends more time with Leoni's daughter who teaches her better English and finds herself more involved in her employer's troubles than she wanted to be.Both comical commentary and sage wisdom are offered by Leoni's delightful mother (the scene stealing Cloris Leachman), a former singing star who loves her wine and sees her daughter for the mess she is, often siding with Sandler. Quite subtle for a change, Sandler is more of a reactor, and often it seems like he's dumbfounded by Leoni's often hammy performance. It seems like she's biting off more meat than she can swallow, and tried too hard to keep up with the Oscar winning Cloris. Young Sarah Steele is a nice find as Leoni and Sandler's chubby daughter who strives for typical awkward teen acceptance without becoming cloying.This isn't quite a masterpiece, but it is quite pleasing in spite of Leoni's forced performance and a few deep plot holes. Surprisingly well written and directed by Joseph Brooks, it is a bit of a sleeper and filled with some unpredictable moments. As Sandler and Vega bond, a different kind of love grows, and it becomes very revealing into all of these character's hearts. I didn't see the need however to tell this through flashbacks as it already seemed to be set in modern times and could have just added a prologue to wrap things up.

It really amazes me how unbelievably people miss the point behind movies. It also amazes me how someone can watch a well written movie and somehow not realize it. The stories this movie tells are life. The cheating wife and the husband who is being driven crazy but her ridiculous behavior. The parents who cannot agree on the proper way to raise their children. The good hearted person who has life happen to him instead of taking it by the horns. The mother who loves her daughter so much she lives her own life for her. She tries to protect her from everything including being spoiled and this changing her personality into something she doesn't approve of. The characters are well done and each serves their roles very well. The casting of Sandler was interesting but like others have said I was pleasantly surprised with his acting. He wasn't the typical goofy Adam Sandler. Not a goofy funny movie but a well written story that has moments of fun but is mostly just subtle humor well done by the actors.

SpanglishAccording to Wikipedia, a survey of the reviews by Rotten Tomatoes, say "53% of critics gave Spanglish a positive review.[3] Its proponents claim it is a portrayal of the difficulty of family problems and self-identity. Negative reviews said it was "uneven", "awkward", and "mean-spirited".After I wright this I will look at those reviews to see what happens. Maybe it will confirm I know everything or nothing or somewhere in between. Please keep in mind one doesn't have to be a wordsmith to have something to say. That said I think this movie has the following going for it. Before we get into that though I just watched the trailer. One of the things that it had going against it (it lost money) was how it seems to have been marketed, but I think it is a good movie. Maybe If I actually do know something id will be a good source of cultural development one day. Kind of like the admiration towards Neil Armstrong or Niel Haggart for that matter. But anyway to me this movie portrays a cross section of society and touches on: Family values How to confront problems within the family dynamic Questions I think most parents ask of themselves That's all I can remember. I think its one of those worth watching again.Are awkward, uneven, and mean spirited feelings toward this movie correlated with beliefs that social inequality is inevitable?If it pleases and sparkles.