Spanglish (2004)

I almost gave this movie four and a half stars, but it wasn’t concise enough to be that good. But it was pretty darn close.

I like Adam Sandler. To date I have seen pretty much everything he has been in. And like most comedic actors, lately he has had the serious urge. Punch Drunk Love was a little too quirky for me, so this is a nice midway for me.

This movie is about Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni and their well to do family. They hire a nanny in the form of a beautiful young Spanish woman, (Paz Vega) and they soon all become enveloped in one big family. But not by choice.

Paz does not speak English and has deep cultural roots, and Tea is this borderline Obsessive Compulsive with no tack and extremely low self esteem that she projects on others. So, naturally, they butt heads. Adam Sandler is stuck in the middle. A world class chef that is understanding and loving, and trying to work with everyone around him, but getting walked over and is near his breaking point.

There is a short love affair between Tea and her real estate agent, and Adam Sandler is falling for Paz. But being a good husband, he mostly resists, and puts his children first.

All the while, Paz’s daughter Christina, is pulled in every direction. She is actually the narrator of the story. This is why I did not rate it higher.

I was riveted by the movie. But it was convoluted on who is was supposed to be about. You want some more resolve at the end of the story, but you don’t really get it because the story is about Christina. Or so they want. But the story focuses equally on many different relationships, so that is why you feel this tug of war as an audience member.

This movie has a lot of chick flick in it. If you like Adam Sandler, he does some funny commentary on what is going on around him, but is for the most part serious. But it has great acting from Sandler, Leoni, and Vega, so see this movie, just don’t expect everything to be completely resolved when you leave the theater.

Here are some similar arcade posts

• Pride and Prejudice (2005)
• Click (2006)
• The Longest Yard (2005)
• Fun with Dick and Jane (2005)
• Airheads (1994)

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