Spanglish

Perhaps my tardiness in this review is indicative of my lack of excitement for "Spanglish". This is a movie with some impressive performances, including a semi-dramatic Adam Sandler and a neurotic Tea Leoni. Yet the conclusion felt so inconclusive that I felt gypped at the ending.

"Spanglish" is narrated by Cristina (Shelbie Bruce), who tells story of her mother, Flor (Paz Vega). Flor is a Mexican woman raising her twelve-year old daughter on her own. After moving to America, Flor tries to create a stable life for her daughter by taking a job as a housekeeper for the Clasky family. The problem is that Flor speaks no English, and the Clasky's, who beyond the parents (Sandler and Leoni) also include daughter Bernice (a very effective Sarah Steele), son Georgie (Ian Hyland), and grandma (Cloris Leachman), speak no Spanish.

Flor's training period is quick and clever, as both sides struggle to understand each other. It's after Cristina and Flor move in with the family that we really discover the issues surrounding the Clasky's. Insecurity runs rampant throughout, from the mother's obsession with everyone's appearance to the father's fear of success. While Flor may seem to be the stabilizing force for them, she is actually just as insecure about her own situation and her daughter's possible future.

"Spanglish" is a touching movie that falls victim to its own creation of too many problems, and too many issues left unresolved. I was really into this movie for the first hour, but had lost all interest by the last thirty minutes. With Oscar contenders coming out left and right, you can take this one off your list of movies to see. I give it a C.

"Spanglish" is rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours, 11 minutes.