Review of Spanglish (2004) by Kirby P — 14 Dec 2009

Adam Sandler is the heart of this picture. In the previews he is shown to be the lead character, and he does share a lot of screen time. The real leads are Paz Vega and Tea leoni. Leoni plays an uber nuerotic women who is extremely goal oriented yet she has no personal goals.

Adam plays her husband who is trying desperately to love her, but is growing less patient with the way she treats their daughter Berniece. At one point she excitedly brings her some new clothes. The young girl happily opens the bag to discover they are a size to small.

"You're going to lose that weight" she says to no one who is interested in listening. Things get even more complicated when Flor(Vega) and her daughter Cristina go to live with them at their summer beach house.

Deborah(Leoni) sees the young Cristina , much thinner than her own daughter, she immediately wants to take her under her wing and do the things she should be doing with Berniece. All the characters are quirky.

"Will you stop being so Stark raving calm" is actually yelled at John Clausky(Sandler) yet none of the actors let the characters become caricatures. The story is solid. The direction good enough not to bring these sit-com situations to sit-com status.

This should have gotten more love in the theaters and now is your chance to make up for it. Check it out.