Spanglish is a sweet comedy with a clever script, but I think it does deliver a rather simplistic portrayal of the cultural divide between rich and poor, and between white Americans and Hispanics. I also have difficulties with Brooks' unsympathetic depiction of Deborah (Tea Leoni) and of motherhood. Flor (Paz Vega) is glorified, Deborah is insensitive and manipulative, while John (Adam Sandler) is a saint. But whether it's fair or not, Tea Leoni deserves a medal - she is perfectly overbearing and graceless in the role and Cloris Leachmen gets all the best lines as Deborah's mother. If you're prepared to ignore Spanglish's attempts to be a realistic social commentary - then you'll enjoy the ride.
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