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Spanglish


While I realize this may not be the most obvious film choice, as it’s mostly in English, this is a very good film that talks about identity and how that is questioned when you move to another country. 

 

This movie is about a woman, Flor, who lives in Mexico and is a single mother.  She decides to bring her daughter, Cristina to the US to provide for her and her daughter’s future.  After several years of living and working in a latino neighborhood, Flor decides she is ready to venture out to the other side of LA, where she works for an affluent white American family who do not know how to speak Spanish.  This is where we slowly see the transformation occur: when Flor and eventually her daughter, Cristina, become more “Americanized” and therefore start to lose their sense of selves. 

 

The word Spanglish is often referred to as a mix of the Spanish and English language, but in this film, although yes, there is an emphasis on the language barrier between Flor and the Clasky family, it’s more of a culture clash.  And as we know, when we move to a new country, it is very difficult to not assimilate into the new culture.  We can try to ignore it, deny it, but it does creep in, and this is how identities can shift.    The material in this film stands on its own, but it’s only enhanced by the talent of the actors.  In addition to Paz Vega (Flor), we get to see a very different side to Adam Sandler, (John Clasky) rather than his comedic performances around the time the film came out (2004).  I highly recommend this film, particularly if you’re interested in the effects that immigration has on identity, particularly in the US 


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