I think this movie gives us a very true message about human relationships: that being part of the same culture not always assures us good or better communication. There are moments were people need more than that. Something that goes much more beyond the differences of the different cultures of the world.
And this "something" is "empathy".
Have a very happy New Year and my best wishes for all of you!
I think you're right. That is a good summary!
shareI completely agree. And I also think that people in general who have a greater sense of empathy are the ones that enjoy this film the most.
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That would be the comparative of "good" if English weren't such a messed up language.
shareAbsolutely Agree!
shareAbsolutely, "empathy" is a theme -- as well as parental responsiblity in developing it if a child doesn't have the natural talent for relating to other human beings. It's something that can't be done if a parent doesn't engage when they see a problem developing.
When Flor withdrew her daughter from the private school, I'm sure many immediately thought:
"How awful -- why wouldn't she want her daughter to have that opportunity?"
Which is a bit patronizing because it assumes the parent did not have an important reason for doing so and it could only be the result of ignorance from poverty. But a parent's job is to raise a fully developed adult who can function in society and Flor noticed what her daughter needed. Christina was already a very strong student and it was later shown that she would be, nomatter what circumstances she was put in. But her mother noticed that she was immature when it came to empathy and that popularity in the private school would be of importance to her -- it wouldn't just be about academic development. So, she made a difficult decision based on the unique needs of her daughter because she knew her well enough to know what was best for her.
However, in Bernice's case, the private school would serve the intended purpose of academic growth and development because Bernice had a strong enough moral core, to not be swayed by popularity; she was her own person. So, besides her weaknesses as a student, she had a natural talent for empathy -- for relating to and understanding the perspective of other human beings. She would be "safe" to grow in that environment -- even if her Mom was on automatic pilot, assuming structured and expensive programs would stand-in for proper parenting -- because she could disclose anxieties to her Dad and would use school as a focus for academics, not as a place to win popularity contests. Remember when flor was talking about Bernice, she said: "You...you do not have to worry about her."
"Spanglish" is, essentially, about the untraditional ways we accomplish "tradition" and the importance of being an engaged parent in the development of your child. Since raising children is not exclusive to one racial group, it's something that can be shared and related to across cultures and racial heritages: Everyone wants their children to thrive, even if some parents are not adept at producing this result. The desire is there, even if the skills are not or severe dysfunction confuses decision-making.
Damn you, tetrabean! Why'd you have to go and make me reconsider like that? My main initial reaction to the ending was one of disappointment. I thought, and felt, how could she deny her own daughter that monumental opportunity for achievement and happiness? But i wholeheartedly agree with your character assessment of the two daughters. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. Given the right amount of love, support and encouragement, there's no reason to think that each of them would not strive and prove there intelligence and sense of self worth. Especially under the perceived circumstances that we the audience might place upon them.
Remember, they're barely even teenagers. The hardest part of the journey into adulthood has just begun. And they're still under the physical, mental and economical (even spiritual in most cases, though it's not mentioned in this movie) control of their parent(s). One of the joys of storytelling is in imagination. And like you, i'd like to wish the best future for each of them. It's the parents that i'm concerned about. Flor may have made the right decision in the end. But did she make the best decision. For herself, probably. But for Christina? That's up to her to determine in time. But when does that time come? And how?
I guess all i'm trying to say is that there are always many variables and contradictions in life. And if you're blessed enough to have a strong parental role model that uses love to guide, protect and discipline you, then you just might live a successful and fulfilling life.
So forgive me for being cynical, but there are no guarantees in life. Suppose Flor can't find another job in such an affluent neighborhood. After all, she'd be relying on the Clasky's references. Hopefully she gets a good one. And that probably all depends on Deborah. What if they end up back in an economically marginal or depressed area. And really? How accurate was the portrayal of the Mexican-American (Danny Aiello liked to call himself and American-Italian) neighborhood where they lived in L.A. in the beginning. Not that it can't happen but wow, did that seem easy! Whatever. Let's hope for their sake that the public school system can still provide a decent education. I survived it and a lot of kids still do. But still...
There's a soap box here waiting for me to stand on. But i'll resist.
Anyway, that's my humble opinion. And i could be wrong.
You know, I'm not yet a parent, but I imagine these are the types of personal conflicts parents endure on a regular basis; what do you do, when there are benefits and detriments to two, very different paths for your child? Do you go down the one that offers more financial and material resources or the one that is more in tune with values and social growth? There are benefits to both. It's unfair to Flor because her poverty and place in society, forces her to have less room for mistakes. It's a big, difficult decision and there are no "do overs" when it comes to raising children -- you can only guide with love, as you've mentioned and hope for the best of luck. Is it fair, though, that Flor should give-up her intuition of what's best for her daughter, simply because she's poor? A private school of the highest caliber offers so many opportunities to underprivileged children, but there are kids who spend their entire lives in high-end schools and they emerge as sociopaths. In the same breath, there are many who will turn-out just fine.
It's hard for parents because the stakes are so high; nomatter how dysfunctional a mindset, I'd guess most, if not all, parents want their children to thrive -- even if they can't figure-out how best to do it. Even Bernice's Mom thought she was doing what was best for her daughter -- she was really trying to help because she didn't want her to face the difficulties of having to stand alone. But Bernice had the natural talent to be able to do that, while Christina was a naturally strong student, but required more guidance in developing a stronger personal character. Raising a child who is different from you, must be so difficult because you don't want what worked best for you and your personality and strengths, to intrude on what would actually be best for your child; at the same time, you need to make some decisions based on what you know about The World in your longer experience with it. This is difficult stuff :).
'gooder' ????
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