My Family (1995)

Director:

Gregory Nava

Writers (WGA):

Gregory Nava (written by) &
Anna Thomas (written by)

Release Date:

3 May 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Three generations of dreams.

Plot:

Traces over three generations an immigrant family's trials, tribulations, tragedies, and triumphs. Maria and Jose...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | 1920s | Brother Sister Relationship | Coming Of Age | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Edward James Olmos	...	Paco
Rafael Cortés	...	Roberto (as Rafael Cortes)
Ivette Reina	...	Trini
Amelia Zapata	...	Roberto's Girlfriend
Jacob Vargas	...	Young Jose
Emilio Del Haro	...	Oxcart Driver
Abel Woolrich	...	Oxcart Driver
León Singer	...	El Californio (as Leon Singer)
Rosalee Mayeux	...	Maria's Employer
Jennifer Lopez	...	Young Maria
Alicia del Lago	...	Maria's Aunt
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	The Boatman (as Thomas Rosales)
Anthony Gonzalez	...	Baby Paco
Michael Gonzalez	...	Little Paco
Esai Morales	...	Chucho

Also Known As:

Cafe con leche
East L.A. (UK) (video title)
My Family, Mi Familia

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, some graphic violence and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Agoura Hills, California, USA

Company:

American Playhouse

Trivia:

The final scene is duplicated shot-for-shot from the final scene of Apur Sansar (1959).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Isabella is at the Sanchez home, we see a medium shot of Paco with a bowl of popcorn, and Memo. In front of them is a tray of taquitos. But a minute or two later, Irene brings out the same tray and sets it down on the coffee table in front of them.

Quotes:

Paco: Everyone said the police had killed Chucho, but my mother never believed it. She knew that he was meant to die at the river. Chucho's life had been on borrowed time, but you cannot cheat fate forever. The spirit of the river had returned to claim what was rightfuly his.

Movie Connections:

Features "I Love Lucy" (1951)

Soundtrack:

Bachata Rosa

'My Family'

'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)