Spanglish

Pros: Cast
Cons: Too many things going on. No real resolution to anything.

The movie Spanglish received a lot of hype before its release to theaters, mostly because it was written and directed by James L. Brooks. The last movie he made, As Good As It Gets, received critical acclaim and won many awards. ...

Pros: The first half of the film...
Cons: ... the second half of the film...

Spanglish was advertised as a culture-clash comedy, and indeed for about the first half of the film that’s what it seemed to be. A bit surreal with it, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, half-way through the film was ...

Pros: Sandler, Vega, solid support, entertaining story
Cons: More of an overview than a view of life

"Spanglish" is a comedy about communication, and the gaps people often fail to foresee. Adam Sandler stars as John Clasky, a rising restaurateur on the Los Angeles culinary scene. His restaurant gets a glowing review in the press, and business booms as a ...

Pros: Unconventional, punctures some stereotypes, some good acting from Sandler (!) and Vega...
Cons: Reinforces some stereotypes, too much chaos, too many plotlines, turns into melodrama...

This is one of those movies that my wife wanted to see more than I did. I mean, my first impression when it came out in theatres was that it looked pretty good--Tea Leoni's hot, Adam Sandler can be funny, I generally like James L. Brooks...but the more ...

Pros: Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Tea Leoni, Sarah Steele, several poignant scenes
Cons: Too cluttered and unfocused to truly be great.

Spanglish, the wildly uneven if mostly well-intentioned dramedy from writer/director James L. Brooks, would do well to heed the age old adage about biting off a bit more than one can reasonably hope to chew. While its outstanding cast does all ...

Pros: Cast, especially Sandler and Steele; funny and poignant scenes; some good messages
Cons: Uneven tone and pace; slightly heavy-handed narration. Fairly forgettable score.

It's hard to know what to make of the 2004 film Spanglish. My husband and I recently decided to see it based on the recommendation of some friends who assured us it was great. We had almost no knowledge of the film at all going in, which I'm ...

Pros: Great cast, some great moments
Cons: Goes nowhere in the end

Spanglish should have been a good movie considering the credentials of the people involved. It was written and directed by Oscar-winner James L. Brooks, who last made the wonderful Nicholson hit As Good As It Gets that was nominated for ...

Pros: Meh
Cons: MEH!

Do you ever experience those times when you are offered a free screening of a film that you do not even want to really see? Yes, I have just had one of those experiences. After a staff meeeting at the cinema complex that I work at, the managers decided ...

Pros: Awesome acting, fun atmosphere, unpredictable as all getout, nice humor
Cons: Icky first impression, many things don't get resolved, Tea Leoni's character

Usually, you can spot a mainstream, feel-good family movie from 30 miles away. Or so I thought, until Mom and I put our eyes upon Spanglish, the weirdest normal movie of that whole crazy year. This here's the story of a father who's probably ...

Pros: good premise, some great performances and a worthy (if obscure) theme
Cons: hopelessly aimless, badly researched, lost in subplots, boring, drab, grating

Spanglish is the story of a Mexican mother who brings her daughter to America to do "what's best" for her. Along the way, she discovers that doing "what's best" is harder than it looks. That's a pretty good pitch. It's also an allegory of what ...

Pros: the performance of Vega (Oscar worthy), some terrific exchanges, Sandler/Steele/Leachman/Bruce
Cons: Tea Leoni, lack of focus, unsatisfactory ending/wrap-up

As a fan of Adam Sandler and just about everything he's done, I find myself rooting for the guy. Yes, the dude has made some of the lamest brain comedies ever (and you know what, I enjoyed most of em), but the dude isn't a bad actor when he tries, as ...

Pros: Some noteworthy performances.
Cons: See Review

I think Paz Vega is beautiful; ever since I watch her perform in Sex and Lucia I have been smitten. My wife on the other hand has a completely opposite opinion: she thinks that Ms. Vega is ugly, period, something to do with thick eyebrows and a clef ...

Pros: Paz Vega and Shelbie Bruce.
Cons: Just who and what is this film supposed to be about?

Writer-director James L. Brooks's name is usually enough to get awards voters to sit up and take notice, if not pre-mark their ballots (after all, how else to explain Helen Hunt's 1997 Best Actress Oscar for his As Good as It Gets?), and no doubt ...

Pros: Great acting, strong message, entertaining movie.
Cons: Some cultural difference may be missed.

*Spoiler alert* In this film John Clasky (Adam Sandler) plays an award winning chef living with his wife Deborah Clasky (Tea Leoni) who is a neurotic and self-centered woman. Flor Moreno (Paz Vega) leaves Mexico with her daughter to the U.S. to ...

Pros: Solid acting, good direction, sometimes funny and moving
Cons: Toooooo long, bad music, useless characters, little things

Anyone who has watched an Adam Sandler movie knows instantly what he is about. His comedies, which include such hits as Anger Management, Fifty First Dates, and Happy Gilmore, are often ravaged by critics, but do great business at the box office. And ...