Mi familia

Mexican culture has rarely been pictured in the Hollywood cinema (even though they we are the biggest minority in the country!), but this film probably rates as the best Mexican-themed film (until further notice). The evolution of the family's house really makes this an interesting image in regards to the lives of the family. The intersecting lives of the family are all well thought out, even though it all seems rather convenient they all have these different personas and political aspirations. When I first watched this film, I thought it was one of the greatest movies of all time. Instead of portraying Mexicans as lazy, this film really encompassed the cultural aspects and fears of the common Mexican man. A great film to watch, even if you aren't Mexican.

'My Family' is a compelling tale spanning three generations about a family of Mexican origin living in Los Angeles. It starts with the father of the family, Jose Sanchez (terrifically played by Jacob Vargas), making a one year journey on foot from Mexico to Los Angeles. Once there, he meets and marries the love of his life, Maria (Jennifer Lopez, in an interesting performance). After, Maria survives a tragic separation from her husband, they both settle down in Los Angeles and raise a family of six.

There is a tremendous amount of expectation here, namely because Francis Ford Coppola, who crafted arguably the most exhilarating family saga in the Godfather pictures, is an executive producer. But, My Family is nowhere near in the same league as films like 'The Godfather'. Rather, 'My Family' turns out to be a great film that could have been better. One glaring flaw is in the script written by Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas. Too often, the script relies on tragedies to stir our emotions. Consequently, the emotion presented in the film feels fake at times. Particularly, in the scenes involving Jimmy attempting to bond with his only son, Carlitos.

Despite the missteps in the film, there are many positives to draw upon. The strong performances of the cast. Jimmy Smits, in particular, dominates the film with an intense and yet affecting performance. The film hardly ever succumbs to being a standard tear-jerker or phony. Instead, the film succeeds at creating a touching and provocative portrait of a family's struggles and tribulations in a world that hardly seems just.

Rating: (8/10)

Paco (Edward James Olmos) recounts three generations of his Mexican-American family. His father José Sanchez walked to L.A. where he marries his mother Maria. During the Great Depression in 1933, Maria is forcibly deported despite being a citizen. She is pregnant and Chucho is born in Mexico. It took her two years to return. In the late 50s, the large family is starting to clash. José kicks out his rebellious son Chucho (Esai Morales) out of the home. Chucho gets into trouble and killed by the police. Paco served in the Navy. Twenty more years later, youngest son Jimmy (Jimmy Smits) gets out of prison for armed robbery. Daughter Toni has left the nunnery and married priest David Ronconi (Scott Bakula). They're concerned about Salvadoran refugee Isabel.

The movie can feel a little rambling stretching out over such a long time period centering on the various characters. Each section has a compelling story. The first section is the epic journey for Jennifer Lopez. The second part is Esai Morales and the third is Jimmy Smits. Together, it paints a grand portrait of an American family.

Movie follows Jose and Maria who emigrate to California in the 1920s, fall in love and get married. It follows their lives and their childrens up to 1995.

An epic--the first American movie to show a multigenerational portrait of a Mexican family. It's not perfect--some parts are romanticized (I find it hard to believe that the house of a pretty poor family looks that good) and some of the situations are really melodramatic.

Still, the script is good and believable and (with one exception) all the acting is good--especially the very talented Esai Morales. His was a very cliched role (the hot headed Latino brother) but he gave it depth and feeling and acted the hell out of it. When his character goes away the movie lost something. Unfortunately he's replaced by Jimmy Smits who gives a real terrible performance--he's so emotionless all the time! His prescence really drags down the last section of the film, but all the other actors keep it going.

This definetely looks like the inspiration for the (unfortunately) cancelled Showtime series "Resurrection Blvd". It's just a little better than the series and some of the same actors appear in both (Morales played a hot-headed latino in the series too).

Engrossing and one of a kind. Also it's kind of fun to see Jennifer Lopez in a small role before she hit it big. A definete must-see...it doesn't matter if you're Latino or not.

This one hit close to home with me, especially with the characters. Chucho is a fun character that seemed to just be chased by bad luck, and some Hispanics, especially the older ones, are extremely superstitious. But it was funny how close the Chucho character was to the character that same actor played on "La Bamba." And Jimmy... well, that character brings so many memories of one of my cousins life... who has been in and out of prison... he's crude, rude, and can be ruthless, but will help you any way he can, especially if you're family. As a filmmaker, I'm hoping to bring a non-integrated part 2 to this, but the background of the adventure of my lineage is exciting on both father and mother's side. It'll be filled with the unexplained, the pain and drama, Spanish royal connections, and treasure.... which still remains hidden to this day.