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:

marriage | 1950s | lowrider | death in childbirth | death of wife | 

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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

In one scene, when Johnny (Jimmy Smits) is talking to his son, he gives him a Star Wars toy of the Millennium falcon ship as a gift. Seven years later Jimmy Smits would go on to play Bail Organa in Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the clones (2002), Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) as the adopted father of Princess Leia, who spent time in the Millenium Falcon in the original Star Wars trilogy and even married the captain, Han Solo.

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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: Cihuateteo. That's what my mother called them. The souls of women who had died giving birth. They became Cihuateteo, the spirits who helped the sun to set. Without Cihuateteo, the sun would not be able to rest.

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Connections

References Apur Sansar (1959)

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Soundtracks

I Love Lucy Theme
Written by Eliot Daniel and Harold Adamson (uncredited)
Produced by Mark McKenzie
Published by Desilu Music Corp./MPL Music

User Reviews

Shocker that was watched for school...

All I can say is wow! Francis Ford Coppola did an amazing job on this film when he cast the crew to show a struggling but strong family growing up in the middle part of the 20th century. The acting was excellent, the script was excellent, and there was never a dull moment in the movie. If you need to do anything about Mexican culture for a school report, I would highly recommend this movie!