Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | February 24, 2005 | | Summary | Great film centering on the importance of family | Content
 | I admit I didn't have much confidence in this movie at first, when Jennifer Lopez was the actress who played the mother. However, things began to pick up, and the theme of the story began to appear in numerous events. The relationship between the characters is intricately acted out, especially between the bonds of parents and children. Each member of the family is unique; there's Chucho with his rebellious nature, Memo with his desire to fit in and "succeed", Toni with her political endeavors, Irene with her family and restaurant, Jimmy, who is misunderstood by most, and Paco, the eldest son and narrator, who aspires to become a writer. The mother keeps this family together with her strength and love, and the "jefe" seems strict and unyielding at first, but throughout the movie, the audience can see that he really cares about his family. Following the different characters' eventful and sometimes difficult lives, one sees the importance of identity and family. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 05, 2004 | | Summary | Gracias, Gregory Nava, para una pelicula maravillosa! | Content
| This film is a true inspiration to me and gives us all a glimpse into the potential for positive representation of the Latino experience in the United States. The acclaimed director, producer and co-writer of this fantastic film, Mr. Gregory Nava, should've received an Academy Award for his masterful direction of this film, and I believe the actors in this film should've been acknowledged as well. At a time where we all need a voice and are searching for a means to express our experiences in the world, this film is such a blessing for us all to watch.
Through the eyes of three generations of the Sanchez family, a Mexican-American family based in East Los Angeles, we get a sense of their triumphs and struggles that are universal to the human condition, as well as the racism, discrimination, displacement and the struggle for bicultural identity that they all face together as the seasons change. Jose Sanchez, an ambitious young man from Michoacan walked across the border between Mexico and California when it was literally "a line in the dirt" and took up roots there to start a new life and raise a family. The young Jose is played by a beaming, soulful and spirited Jacob Vargas (an actor who has been made a fool of in numerous films since, in "token Latino roles" such as drug dealers and thugs--what a waste of phenomenal talent!), and is then by the legendary Mexican actor, Edward Lopez Rojas. His beautiful wife, Maria, who he first meets while clipping the hedges overlooking a mansion, while she is the nanny to a bunch of little children, is played by the young Jennifer Lopez, who is beautiful, glowing and full of life and courageous inner strength. The older Maria is played by a soulful and tender Jenny Gago. Other wonderful actors in this film include: Edward James Olmos (Paco Sanchez, their son and storyteller), Jimmy Smits (Jimmy Sanchez), Constance Marie (Antonia Sanchez), and Elpidia Carrillo (Isabel Sanchez, Jimmy's Salvadorean wife--a beautiful actress we have seen far too little of!).
The earthy cinematography in this film is comparable to the great murals and naturalistic portraits of Diego Rivera. The vibrant colors and wonderful flashbacks of Mexico make you feel like you are taking the journey with Jose Sanchez from Michoacan to Los Angeles. Beautiful, touching, warm, authentic and lovingly done. We need more films like this to encourage our youth, inspire the generation of today and reach people from all cultural backgrounds. Hopefully, with films like this, we can work toward bringing more projects about life, the experience of Latinos and bicultural identity to the foreground through film. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 17, 2004 | | Summary | Powerful and Moving!!! | Content
| This is a fine film that stresses the importance of culture and family while never losing its entertainment value. Following the same Mexican-American family from one generation to the next, the film crams a lot into a two hour running time, but the story is effective, well-told, and moving. While some of it was a bit far-fetched, especially Jennifer Lopez's opening bit as the younger version of Maria, the mother, crossing an angry river with her newborn son, the film does pick up and becomes a moving epic about a tough family and their struggles. The casting is terrific, each cast member very believable with their strong performances. I enjoyed this movie and it made me appreciate all my parents have done to keep our family together. This is a terrific slice-of-life made enjoyable by the realism and top-notch cast. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 20, 2004 | | Summary | Powerful Movie | Content
| I first saw this movie in 1995 when it was first released in theaters. Nine years later, the movie still has the same effect as it did when I first saw it. Although my experiences and my family's experiences are not identical to the ones experienced by the Sanchez family, there are similarities, and I'm sure many other Mexican-Americans can identify with the small things that make this movie so good. What makes this movie so good is that the director, Gregory Nava, captures the nuances that many Mexican-Americans can relate to. 'Crossing the Bridges,' as Edward James Olmos explains, is something that the patriarch of the family must do when he goes to work on the other side of downtown LA. What's so strange is that many people continue to cross those bridges every day of their lives (literally and figuratively). Little things like this as well as Chucho's pride in having the best creased pants, the mother's passion for her 'novelas,' and Jimmy Smits' hard personality really give this movie a feeling of familiarity. I also like the fact that Memo goes to UCLA. The casting is good, and it's weird to see Jennifer Lopez in small roles like this before her rise to stardom. While the movie may not identically reflect the experiences of every Mexican-American, it will be hard not to see some parallels. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 27, 2004 | | Summary | My Family | Content
| One of the best movies I have ever seen! |
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