Bread and Roses (2000)

Two Latina sisters work as cleaners in a downtown office building, and fight for the right to unionize.

Director:

Ken Loach

Writer:

Paul Laverty (screenplay)

Stars:

Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Elpidia Carrillo

5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pilar Padilla	...	Maya
Adrien Brody	...	Sam Shapiro
Elpidia Carrillo	...	Rosa
Jack McGee	...	Bert
Monica Rivas	...	Simona
Frankie Davila	...	Luis (as Frank Davila)
Lillian Hurst	...	Anna
Mayron Payes	...	Ben
Maria Orellana	...	Berta
Melody Garrett	...	Cynthia
Gigi Jackman	...	Dolores
Beverly Reynolds	...	Ella
Eloy Méndez	...	Juan (as Eloy Mendez)
Elena Antonenko	...	Maria
Olga Gorelik	...	Olga

Storyline

Maya is a quick-witted young woman who comes over the Mexican border without papers and makes her way to the LA home of her older sister Rosa. Rosa gets Maya a job as a janitor: a non-union janitorial service has the contract, the foul-mouthed supervisor can fire workers on a whim, and the service-workers' union has assigned organizer Sam Shapiro to bring its "justice for janitors" campaign to the building. Sam finds Maya a willing listener, she's also attracted to him. Rosa resists, she has an ailing husband to consider. The workers try for public support; management intimidates workers to divide and conquer. Rosa and Maya as well as workers and management may be set to collide.

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Plot Keywords:

three word title | janitor | justice | rose | union | 

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Taglines:

The Balance Of Power Is About To Change.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Channel Four Television [UK]

Country:

UK France Germany Spain Italy Switzerland

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

25 October 2000 (France)

Also Known As:

Bread & Roses

Filming Locations:

Doheny Library - 3550 Trousdale Parkway, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$49,662, 13 May 2001

Gross USA:

$533,479

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$706,876

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parallax Pictures, Alta Films, Alta Producción

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prior to filming, Adrien Brody did undercover research as a union member in Los Angeles. He went to conventions and sat in on strike talks. A couple of the members recognized him, but Brody persuaded them not to blow his cover.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Maya: Take care. Take good care of yourself. I love you.

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Connections

Referenced in S.P.U.N.G: Bara man vill så går det (2002)

User Reviews

Just Experience It and Enjoy

When I attended a screening a week ago sponsored by a local public supported radio station (KPFK) in Los Angeles, I was not certain if this film was a documentary or typical crafted Hollywood-style hyperbole since I listened with half an ear while jogging and listening to an opportunity to attend.

Who would have thought that a simple discussion on a local public supported radio station in Los Angeles (KPFK) a few years ago would compel a screenwriter (Paul Laverty) to visit a union organizing effort in downtown Los Angeles (circa 1999) resulting in a film that was drama, comedy, farce, fear, compassion and a taste of dusted immigrants creeping through Tijuana-to-USA shrubs to gain entry via the abusive "coyotes" human smuggler routes. Most of these immigrants land in day-worker situations and low pay and yet Los Angeles would collapse without them. This film concentrates on the downtown office area -- owned and occupied by the elite of Los Angeles establishment - and where many undocumented workers toil under conditions that are far less than that suggested by international Human Rights standards.

This was a polished non-Hollywood-capability-film but yet intimately Los Angeles. I listened to an interview yesterday on KPFK with Laverty and learned that funding was elsewhere - Europe I recall - not 'Hollywood'. And Laverty is from Scotland. One would never guess that the film was actually on the low-budget scale when compared with Hollywood's pleasure to spend big dollars.

I also learned that the film was made in 30-days (hence the vibrant interaction of all cast members and energetic direction by Loach) and is in release this week with 30 prints in Los Angeles, and 300 nationwide USA. Sounds like some symmetry there and potential Lottery pick permutations.

My only reservation is that the story is highly political in an undercurrent nature and may frighten an extensive audience --- unless the viewers just take the courage to go, watch, and enjoy. The film will do the rest. The viewer will leave with more than the cost of a matinee price ticket.

I also suggest that in an upcoming meeting between Vicente Fox, President of Mexico, and George W. Bush, President of United States, that Vicente snag a copy of the film and show it to George while sipping tea in Texas. And then for dessert, sip more tea and watch "Traffic".