The film was released in the United States on December 17, 2004, by Columbia Pictures. It was a box office bomb, grossing $55 million worldwide on an $80 million production budget.[2] The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of Sandler and Vega, but criticism for the plot.
Plot
For Cristina Moreno's Princeton University application essay, she tells the story of a year from her childhood and how it shaped the person she is today.
In 1992, Flor Moreno, a Mexican single mother, moved to the United States ("economy class," according to Cristina’s letter) to seek a better life for her and her daughter, Cristina. They settle in a Latino community in Los Angeles, where Flor never feels the need to learn English, though Cristina does. Flor works two jobs to support her family, but as Cristina blossoms she realizes she needs to spend more time with her and gets a job as a housekeeper for John and Deborah Clasky; their children Bernice and Georgie; and Deborah's mother, Evelyn Wright.
John is a chef and an easy-going family man. Deborah was a businesswoman who lost her job from downsizing and is now a stay-at-home mother. Evelyn is a retired singer. Deborah is uptight, neurotic and insecure. She body-shames Bernice and bullies John by demanding that he always back her up. John is torn between defending his kids' mental well-being and his domineering wife. Flor tries to build Bernice's self-confidence with small acts of kindness, especially when Deborah is harsh.
Flor gets on well with the Claskys despite the language barrier. When Deborah rents a house for the summer, she tells Flor she expects her to live in while they are there since Flor travels by bus, and commuting from Los Angeles to Malibu is unfeasible. Faced with losing her job, Flor reluctantly agrees to bring Cristina and live with the Claskys for the summer. Cristina is instantly dazzled by the Claskys' wealthy lifestyle.
Deborah quickly becomes attached to the beautiful and personable Cristina and ignores Bernice. Flor does not approve of the attention. John unwittingly angers Flor when he offers to pay the children a set amount for each bit of sea glass they find on the beach. Cristina earnestly searches for hours and earns $650 for her efforts. Flor and John argue with Cristina as an interpreter. Flor wants to leave because of the awkward family dynamic. He convinces her to stay to Cristina's delight, and Flor starts an English course so that she can better communicate with the Claskys.
John's restaurant receives an enthusiastic review and he begins to feel added pressure to maintain standards. Deborah begins an affair with a real estate agent. She also secures Cristina a scholarship to Bernice's private school, which upsets Flor, who is concerned that her daughter will either be an outcast or lose her individuality at the school. Since Cristina passionately wants to attend the school, Flor agrees but feels that Deborah is overstepping her bounds and voices her concerns to John, who tells her he empathizes as Bernice has no support from her own mother.
Deborah allows Cristina to bring her friends from the private school over for a sleepover and tells Flor it is a study session even though Cristina is expected home for a family event. The now-sober Evelyn confronts her daughter about her affair, warning her that she will lose John and ruin her life if she doesn't stop.
Deborah confesses to John, who refuses to talk things out with her and leaves. He encounters Flor, who has arrived to quit her job and retrieve Cristina. Since Cristina is asleep with her friends, John takes Flor to his restaurant, where he cooks for her, and they admit their feelings for each other but acknowledge that they cannot have a relationship. A desperate Deborah continuously tries to contact John and blames Evelyn's failings as a parent for the way that she is. They have a frank conversation during which they admit their faults and become closer.
The next day, Flor comes to take Cristina home and informs her that she has quit her job, which upsets Cristina. John and Flor part amicably. On the way home, Flor further upsets Cristina by telling her she cannot attend private school anymore, which leads her to have a public meltdown and to accuse Flor of ruining her life.
After she asks her mother for "space," Flor, having lost patience, tells Cristina she needs to answer an important question at such a young age: "Is what you want for yourself to become someone very different than me?" Cristina considers that on their bus ride home before they make up and embrace. The voiceover from Cristina tells the Princeton committee that while she would be thrilled by their acceptance, she would not let it define her, as she is already her mother's daughter.
James L. Brooks cast Adam Sandler after seeing his more dramatic performance in Punch-Drunk Love.[3]
Paz Vega could not speak English when filming began and an interpreter was on set during filming so that she could communicate with the director.[3]
Cloris Leachman replaced Anne Bancroft, who dropped out of the part after four weeks of shooting because of illness.[3]
According to cinematographer John Seale, over two million feet of film was shot; Kodak sent him two bottles of champagne out of appreciation. This was the most footage Seale ever shot on a film, and it wasn't surpassed until Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015.[4]
Reception
Box office
The film grossed $8 million at #3 during its opening weekend. It eventually grossed $42 million at the box office in the United States and another $12 million outside the US, which brings the worldwide total of $55 million. The film's failure was partly due to its competition with Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Ocean's Twelve, and Meet the Fockers.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 54% based on reviews from 168 of critics, with an average rating of 6/10. The critical consensus reads, "Paz Vega shines, and Adam Sandler gives a performance of thoughtfulness and depth, but Spanglish is ultimately undermined by sitcommy plotting and unearned uplift."[5] On Metacritic it has a score of 48% based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.[7]
Its proponents claim it is a moving portrayal of the difficulty of family problems and self-identity (and perhaps to a lesser extent the difficulties and rewards of cross-cultural communication). Some critics described the film as "uneven",[8] "awkward," for example, when "John and Flor attempt to bare their souls to one another... [with] lots of words coming out of their mouths, but there doesn't seem to be a context",[9] and "The supporting performers deserve better, especially ... Cloris Leachman, who's consigned to a demeaning role...[and] the butt of rather mean-spirited jokes."[10]
^Buchanan, Kyle (2022). "Chapter 27: If You Can't Fix What's Broken". Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road (first ed.). New York City: HarperCollins. p. 262. ISBN978-0-06-308434-6.
