Surprise Ending
Turns Spanglish Into a Triumph for James Brooks
By Ed Bagley
Spanglish – 3 Stars (Good)
Spanglish is a relationship movie
with a surprise ending in that the two principal
characters in the movie actually do the right thing.
The story line involves a
Mexican woman who emigrates to America with her
daughter following a failed relationship to seek a
better life. She becomes a housekeeper for an
upscale family with some relationship problems, and
becomes emotionally involved with the husband.
The husband (Adam Sandler) and
the housekeeper (Paz Vega) manage to almost lose it
but do not act on their impulses, separating at the
end with the husband going back to his dysfunctional
wife (Tea Leoni) and two children, and the
housekeeper moving on to another chapter in her
life.
This is so unlike Hollywood,
where filmmakers in tinsel town cannot seem to get
enough sex, violence and smut into a movie like this
without regard for ethics, values or morals.
Everyone in this movie that
actually matters is sensitive except the wife (who
should know better) and the housekeeper’s daughter
(who is young and immature).
All you need to know about the
cruel wife is that she buys new clothes for her
daughter that are two sizes too small as an
incentive for her to loose weight. The daughter is
overweight and unattractive, but she is also smart,
sensitive and funny. The wife then manages to fall
into an illicit affair because of her insecurity and
poor self-image.
The role of the wife Deborah
is cast so off the wall that she is an unbelievable
character involved in what is otherwise a good film
with some great messages. I give credit to Tea Leoni
for taking on this despicable role, and proving that
you could blow an air gun into her ear and feel a
constant breeze on the other side.
The husband, who becomes a
celebrity chef, comes across as vacant sometimes,
but he also shows some sensitivity, understanding
and compassion while his wife is totally
self-absorbed. I would see this film again, and
cringe even more at the character, activity and
decision-making of the wife.
It is so great to see Adam
Sandler in a more serious acting effort than another
inane, stupid comedy like Punch-Drunk Love. Sandler
may not be Hollywood's answer to the next great
actor, but he is capable of more than great comedy;
we need to find out how much more.
Spanglish does not benefit at
all from its title, which arises from a combination
of Spanish and English (the housekeeper in the movie
is initially reliant on her daughter to speak
English because she cannot). Actually, there was a
translator on the set because Paz Vega did not speak
English and James L. Brooks (the director) did not
speak Spanish.
Unfortunately, the title comes
across as cute and sophomoric and tells us nothing
about the nature of the movie or its message. The
title, which could have helped build an audience for
the film, does not induce any emotion or
imagination. Spanglish picked up a couple of awards,
but you will find no nominations or Oscars of
significance here.
The film is written and
directed by James L. Brooks, usually a prescription
for a terrible film, but Brooks has broken the mold.
Brooks may be the first
writer/director that I have not purposely panned
because of a terrible product. He manages to tell a
story worth seeing, and makes the characters seem
more real and involved when it matters rather than
wasting footage with another mindless sex scene for
a ratings boost.
A lot of Americans just love
sex, filth and violence. If you do not think so,
watch a movie, turn on your television or play a
video game (they make it because consumers almost
demand it). Give Brooks credit for drawing the line
and making the characters more important than any
ratings they may generate.
Copyright © 2006 Ed Bagley
