The Perez Family (1995)

In an attempt to secure a sponsor, an unlikely group of Cuban refugees become a "family" as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service gives families priority over others. In the ... See full summary »

Director:

Mira Nair

Writers:

Christine Bell (novel), Robin Swicord (screenplay)

Stars:

Marisa Tomei, Alfred Molina, Anjelica Huston

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marisa Tomei	...	Dorita Evita Perez
Alfred Molina	...	Juan Raul Perez
Anjelica Huston	...	Carmela Perez
Chazz Palminteri	...	Lt. John Pirelli
Trini Alvarado	...	Teresa Perez
Celia Cruz	...	Luz Pat
Ranjit Chowdhry	...	Indian immigration official
Diego Wallraff	...	Angel Diaz
Ellen Cleghorne	...	Officer Rhoades
Angela Lanza	...	Flavia
Jose Felipe Padron	...	Felipe Perez
Lázaro Pérez	...	Armando 'Papi' Perez
Bill Sage	...	Steve Steverino
Vincent Gallo	...	Orlando
Billy Hopkins	...	Father Aiden

Storyline

In an attempt to secure a sponsor, an unlikely group of Cuban refugees become a "family" as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service gives families priority over others. In the process, a political prisoner who hasn't seen his wife for twenty years and a disaffected sugarcane cutter fall in love. An excitable brother and a lovestruck cop contribute to the general confusion. The inevitable humorous romantic entaglements ensue as a final confrontation is set up.

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Plot Keywords:

immigration | political prisoner | love | usa | miami florida | 

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Taglines:

On the way to finding a family, she found love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cuando salí de Cuba

Filming Locations:

Coral Gables, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,832,826 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón was supposed to be directing this film, but pulled out before production started.

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Goofs

When Dottie goes to make out with the security guard at the bar, the first wide shot shows her without her orange pants on, just black panties. In the next shot, she is wearing her pants, then the security guard precedes to pull them down, showing the black panties previously shown from a far distance in the first wide shot.

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Quotes

Carmela Perez: She's a good girl but she is an American. Who could have imagined me having an American for a daughter?

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Crimson Tide/A Little Princess/The Perez Family/The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill/Swimming with Sharks (1995)

User Reviews

Good Cast Helps This Pleasant Love Story (spoilers).

Alfred Molina and Marisa Tomei head up the cast of this pleasant romantic comedy about a former political prisoner and a former sugar cane farmer who leave Cuba for the United States in 1980 on what I presume to be the famous Marielle Boat Lift that brought Cuban exiles to the states (although the boat looks much smaller than it did in 'Before Night Falls'). Having the same last name, the man and the bouyant young woman pose as husband and wife (and later members of an extended Perez family) in order to gain a sponsor who will give them a place to stay and some kind of work.

But, Juan (Molina) is expecting to be reunited with his wife (Angelica Houston) and grown daughter (Trini Alvarado). His traitor brother-in-law, who was responsible for the twenty years he spent in that dreadful prison, comes to the dock looking for Juan, but is told by the guard that Juan and his wife already passed through. So, Angel (the brother-in-law) is under the assumption that Juan remarried and broke his sister's heart, and now he tells his sister to forget about him. Juan, in the meantime, has no idea about the misunderstanding, but longs to be reunited with his family.

However, along the way, Juan and Dorita (Marisa Tomei in a fantastic performance) build a friendship, and eventually, fall in love for each other. And his wife (Houston) similarly finds a relationship with a charming cop (Chez Palminterri). Juan and his wife, after so many years apart and finding satisfaction and closeness in relationship, they find it hard to rekindle what they once had.

It isn't that they're being disloyal to each other. Despite being married, they had been away from each for more than twenty years and could not just pick up where they left off.

It is a pleasant romantic comedy and has some very funny moments as well as an excellent cast, particularly Marisa Tomei, who pretty much drives the whole movie as the young Cuban female who tries to create a close family (with others similarly named Perez) and searching out something like an "American Dream."