Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Spanglish
2004
**½
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Paz Vega, Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Cloris Leachman, Shelbie Bruce

A Mexican single mom who barely speaks English takes a job as a housekeeper to a highly dysfunctional family in Los Angeles. However, she becomes increasingly disconnected from her own daughter who is drawn to the family's high standard of life. This overlong culture clash comedy shows some early promise, but ultimately it has nothing to say apart from the usual "poor people have values, rich people don't". Paz Vega (who is far too gorgeous to be believable) plays one of those only-in-the movies characters, a poor immigrant so proud that she won't accept any charity.