My Family (1995)

A man makes his way from Mexico to L.A. in the 1920s, gets married and raises a big family there. The movie follows the children until they, too, get married and have children in the 1960s.

Director:

Gregory Nava

Writers:

Gregory Nava, Anna Thomas

Stars:

Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edward James Olmos	...	Paco
Rafael Cortes	...	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

Storyline

This epic film traces over three generations an immigrant family's trials, tribulations, tragedies and triumphs. Jose and Maria, the first generation, come to Los Angeles, meet, marry, face deportation all in the 1930s. They establish their family in East L.A., and their children Chucho, Paco, Memo, Irene, Toni, and Jimmy deal with youth culture and the L.A. police in the 1950s. As the second generation become adults in the 1960s, the focus shifts to Jimmy, his marriage to Isabel (a Salvadorian refugee), their son, and Jimmy's journey to becoming a responsible parent.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | prison | marriage | 1950s | lowrider | 

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Taglines:

Births, weddings and funerals. Madness, mayhem and murder.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

3 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cafe con leche

Filming Locations:

Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$11,079,373

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, American Zoetrope, Majestic Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final scene is duplicated shot-for-shot from the final scene of The World of Apu (1959).

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Goofs

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.

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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.

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Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

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Soundtracks

Guavaberry
Written by Juan Luis Guerra
Performed by Juan Luis Guerra y 4:40
Published by Karen Publishing Co.
Courtesy of Karen Publishing Co.

User Reviews

'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)