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MOVIES / ON DVD / SPANGLISH
Spanglish

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Spanglish (2004)

51%
44%
65%
N/A
N/A
N/A
51 %
Reviews Counted: 156 Fresh: 80  Rotten:76 Average Rating: 5.8/10
 
Consensus: Vega shines, but the heartwarming elements feel phony, as though they belonged in a sitcom, and there is a mean streak underneath it all.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 2 hrs 11 mins

Synopsis: With SPANGLISH, writer/director/producer James L. Brooks (AS GOOD AS IT GETS) unfurls yet another accomplished, tender, romantic comedy. Celebrated chef John Clasky (Adam Sandler) is the patriarch of the Clasky household, but the mood swings of his hypersensitive wife, Deborah (Tea... With SPANGLISH, writer/director/producer James L. Brooks (AS GOOD AS IT GETS) unfurls yet another accomplished, tender, romantic comedy. Celebrated chef John Clasky (Adam Sandler) is the patriarch of the Clasky household, but the mood swings of his hypersensitive wife, Deborah (Tea Leoni), are what really runs the show. When the Claskys hire the beautiful Flor (Paz Vega) to be their maid, their already rocky relationship faces some even bigger boulders. Spanish-speaking Flor is a sincere, loving single mother whose daughter, Christina (Shelbie Bruce), receives lavish displays of affection from Deborah. Meanwhile, Deborah neglects her own son and daughter in much the same way that her self-absorbed, alcoholic mother, Evelyn (Cloris Leachman), neglected her. Eventually Deborah crosses a line when she betrays her husband with the real estate broker who is helping her search for a beach house. Faced with this challenge, John and Flor, who share a clear attraction to one another, get the chance to explore their feelings. Brooks populates his film with wholly believable characters. On first glance they may seem like broad caricatures (especially in the case of the roles played by Leoni and Leachman), but the characters subvert viewers' expectations by turning into full-fledged, three-dimensional humans by the end of the film. As in PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, Sandler delivers a performance that shows his wide range of talent. [More]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, Tea Leoni, Cloris Leachman

Director: James L. Brooks
Screenwriter: James L. Brooks
Producer: Richard Sakai, Joan Bradshaw, Julie Ansell, James L. Brooks
Composer: Hans Zimmer

DVD Info

Release:

Aug 5, 2009

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French (Canadian)
  • Subtitles - English, French (Parisian) - Optional

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ratings Image
N/A

There's a distinct lack of chemistry here and a strong whiff of moral sermonizing that undermines the romantic impact.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/29/08
Anna Smith
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

A satisfying and grown-up flick that boasts all of James L. Brooks’ strengths.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/01/06
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

This is Hollywood liberal humanism as muted join-the-dots melodrama, all carefully calculated colouring, broad outlines, and no room for fruitful digression.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
80/100

A wonderfully touching and brilliantly funny work that's as committed to its characters as it is to its audience.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/27/05
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
Ratings Image
3/5

Sandler is excellent, delivering a heartfelt performance that is easily on a par with his work in Punch Drunk Love.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/26/05
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image
2/5

Brooks' championing of good old-fashioned family values feels hopelessly naïve and frankly unconvincing.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/22/05
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3.5/5

Sandler's best-ever performance--the least self-conscious thing he's done

Full Review | comment Comment
12/16/04
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
N/A

There are signs that a lot has been cut, and in trimming his film Brooks may have squeezed too tight: his movie needs breathing space.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/01/07
David Ansen
Newsweek
Ratings Image
N/A

The film racks up points for stressing in eloquent ways the importance of one's own roots, even when dwarfed or demeaned by the lure of the dominant, more affluent culture.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/30/07
Prairie Miller
Long Island Press
Ratings Image
3.5/4

While the content isn't always pretty, the lessons are important. And, Brooks, thankfully, isn't afraid to face these themes, ugliness and all.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/11/06
Mary Lasse
Christianity Today
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/17/06
Sydney Morning Herald
Ratings Image
C-

Phony bourgeois film.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/12/05
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ratings Image
N/A

Vega radiates effortless strength and charm in her first Hollywood role, and Sandler proves to be a gratifyingly unpredictable leading man, self-effacing one moment and hilariously emphatic the other.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/26/05
Scott Tobias
Onion AV Club
Ratings Image
N/A

Much as Spanglish makes their mutual attraction look magically real and charming, the prospect of John and Flor's romance remains alarming, and not just for the questions it raises about sleeping with the help.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/29/05
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters
Ratings Image
2/4

Some great lines, some great performances, some very very interesting relational topics, but un-quenching, seldom moving and simply not funny enough to be a comedy.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/18/05
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card
Ratings Image
3.5/4

A worthy follow-up to [Director James L.] Brooks’ 1997 success, As Good as it Gets.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/15/05
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal
Ratings Image
C-

Brooks struggles to define Spanglish, garbling the storylines in an unfocused film that only skims the surface in its two hours plus running time.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/13/05
Mark Pfeiffer
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema
Ratings Image
3/5

Meandering, redundant, and shapeless – one gets the feeling that with discipline and focus, a good film could easily have been carved out of all this earnesty.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/01/05
Brian Juergens
Freeze Dried Movies
Ratings Image
2.5/5

'Brooks’ preference is clear: wise Mexican earth mother trumps competitive American neurotic every time.'

Full Review | comment Comment
03/22/05
Jeannette Catsoulis
Las Vegas Mercury
Ratings Image
3/5

As ótimas atuações contribuem para que a primeira metade funcione como um bom estudo de personagens; é aí que o melodrama toma conta da história e enfraquece este longo filme.

comment Comment
03/16/05
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
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