Spanglish

 Starring Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman

Rated PG-13

             Anyone looking for an Adam Sandler film with “Spanglish” is going to be left in the dark; in fact, Sandler fans might even be more disappointed with “Spanglish” than with his last dramatic film, “Punch-Drunk Love” (not surprisingly, “Spanglish” and “Punch-Drunk Love” are Sandler’s two best movies.) Anyway, to the point, “Spanglish” is masterful, as one might expect from a film directed by James L. Brooks (director of “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” and “As Good as It Gets.”)

             Sandler is famous chef John Clasky, a man married to the insane Deborah (Tea Leoni) and father of two children. His entire family’s life is changed when they hire a new Hispanic maid named Flor (Paz Vega): John finds himself attracted to Flor, Deborah finds herself obsessed with the education of Flor’s daughter (while having an affair with Thomas Haden Church), and sitting through this entire mess of a life is Deborah’s alcoholic mom (Cloris Leachman, who should get an Oscar nomination for her priceless work here.)

            So yeah, the Clasky family is pretty dysfunctional. But something profound is happening in these people’s lives, and it’s fascinating to watch as Brooks slowly unfolds the odyssey of the immigration experience in America (the film takes place through the eyes of Flor’s daughter.) Some audiences may get bored, but not me. “Spanglish” is a perfect example of the genre ‘comedy-drama.’

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