Spanglish

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Spanglish, 2005

Plot

A highly successful chef can afford any luxury his family desires, but he fears his success will destroy the lifestyle he yearns for the most. In the meantime, his wife is headed for a mental breakdown so she hires a maid to help keep order in the house but soon finds she’s jealous of the maid’s friendship with her husband. The maid, on the other hand, has issues of her own as she struggles to break the language barriers between her employer and herself, and protect her daughter from her employer’s eccentric ways.

Starring

Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Shelbie Bruce, and more.

The Review

We just finished watching Spanglish, staring Adam Sandler and Paz Vega. I have to admit that when it came out in theatres, I had no interest in watching it. But, my husband, being a die-hard Sandler fan, had to give it the once over and I’m glad he made me to sit down long enough to watch it.

I love to walk way from films feeling as though the writer had a true sense of purpose; that the film wasn’t just about entertaining, but about helping viewers deal with some aspect of life. I am a firm believer that we learn best when being entertained.

There’s a point in the film where Sandler’s character receives a review so great his little restaurant is booked solid four months in advance. But instead of finding happiness in the review, he’s devastated. Not because he feared success, but because he didn’t want other people’s perception of success to change his perception of success. Despite the current chaos in his personal life, he knew what made him happy and he didn’t want to lose that—a successful business, doing something he truly loved, that allowed him time with his family.

Then there’s Vega’s character, despite all the obstacles thrown her way, she is optimistic, hopeful, and inspiring. She works hard to make a good life for her and her daughter, and to hold onto her values; and in the end, she is happier than her counterparts—the ones with the money, the prestige, and the monetary riches. What defined her wasn’t her status in life; it was who she was on the inside.

At any rate, what I took away from this film was the profound realization that I’ve forgotten to ask, “What defines me?”

Is what defines me, my business? Is it how other people perceive me? Is it how much money I have saved in the bank or how much I make in any given month? Is it how many subscribers I have to my newsletters or how many unique visitors I receive to my publication? Is it how many people know my name?

Or is it something more real than that?

Is what defines me who I am, inside? Is it what I believe? Is it my faith? Is it how I live my life? Is it how I choose to spend my time? Is it my family? Is it the relationships I build?

Those are questions I must answer. For in learning what defines me, I am one step closer to finding me.

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