Released 2004
Stars Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Sarah Steele, Shelbie Bruce, Ian Hyland
Directed by James L. Brooks

Spanglish is a typical James L. Brooks motion picture - that is to say, it is strong on characters and relationships, but weak on some of the details that would elevate it from merely "good" to "great." The strength of Spanglish lies in the characters, not the plot. In fact, there isn't much of a storyline - it's a lightly dramatic "slice of life" that gives the men, women, and children populating it a chance to interact. There's some comedy, but, for a film starring wacky man Adam Sandler, it's surprisingly low-key. 

John (Adam Sandler) is trapped between two forces of nature. The first is his wife, Deborah (Téa Leoni), an uptight woman who has become increasingly erratic since being downsized. Stripped of her center, Deborah is stumbling around, groping for something to give her life meaning. Her actions are often destructive, but she is no monster. She causes pain nearly everywhere she turns, but is ignorant of how hurtful she has become - until one act brings her face-to-face with dire consequences. The other woman in John's life is his Mexican housekeeper, Flor (Paz Vega). A quiet, sensitive woman who only works for the Claskys so she can support her daughter, Cristine (Shelbie Bruce), Flor initially tries to remain aloof from the everyday dramas of her employers. Eventually, however, she is sucked in, and the distance of separation diminishes when the Claskys go on vacation and bring Flor and Cristine with them. As the situation between John and Deborah worsens, the chef and his maid find themselves increasingly drawn to one another, even though each is aware of the impossibility of any significant relationship.

Summary from James Berardinelli

This is an extremely pleasant movie. Nothing much happens and there are no breakthroughs, but it's funny and even a little touching at times. Personally, I would have enjoyed it more if the John character had taken some action to improve his home life instead of meekly existing with his neurotic mess of a wife. He was the stick at the bottom of a logjam, and he needed to do something to break free. The plotline that worked the best was Flor's desire to have her daughter maintain her Mexican heritage while also wishing her to improve her life. She saw Cristina's opportunity at the private school, but she also saw what she was becoming. It's a tough call, but she probably did the right thing. --Bill Alward, April 11, 2005