‘My Family’ Offers Different Perspective

In “My Family (Mi Familia),” Jose Sanchez, a naive villager from the Mexican state of Michoacan, settles in East Los Angeles in the 1920s and watches his sprawling family struggle to find happiness over seven decades. (Rated R)

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Sixteen-year-old Nachieli Carmona said she wanted to see “My Family” because it promised to be different from the run-of-the-mill Hollywood action flick. She wasn’t disappointed. For more than two hours, she was treated to:

* Latino actors speaking as much Spanish as English (with subtitles for non-Spanish speakers).

* A slow-paced family saga that meandered like a historical romance.

* Sympathetic scenes of Mexican American culture, including an extravagant wedding, low riders and salsa dancing in the street.

* A family that stayed together and helped one another through delinquency, deportation, prejudice, broken faith, political activism, assimilation and isolation in a new land.

“It has a lot to do with the Mexican culture and stuff, so I liked that,” said Nachieli, who grew up in Mexico City. “You always watch movies, and they’re always about white people, always speaking English. It’s nice (to have a change). It’s different.”

Narrated by Sanchez’s oldest son, Paco, an aspiring writer played by Edward James Olmos, the saga focuses on various family members, many of whom must cope with insensitivity or cruelty from Anglos.

The family includes Jose’s wife, Maria, a U.S. citizen who is deported and struggles for two years to return; their son Chucho, a fugitive killed by police; Toni, a beautiful nun who breaks her vows; Guillermo, a successful attorney engaged to an affluent woman from the Westside, and Jimmy (Jimmy Smits), a loner with an attitude who tries to be a good father.

“It was like real life,” said Olissa Cosme, 15. “It all really happens. Cops get away with stuff. (In families) one goes bad, and another tries to deny his heritage to get ahead.”

Her only complaint?

“It could have been longer,” she said.

The slices of life over the years offer interesting tidbits about Mexican American culture as well as a historical look at East Los Angeles. We learn, for instance, about the belief of some immigrants that California remains part of Mexico and how myths are summoned to explain tragedy. We see a ‘50s dance that resembles the old El Monte Legion Stadium, and ramshackle living near the L.A. River, where no one is concerned whether you grow corn or bury your deceased relatives in the back yard.

“I never thought Los Angeles looked so much like Mexico,” said Nachieli. “That’s actually what Mexico looks like.”

One viewer was also enlightened by the loyalty of the family members, despite their trials.

“I thought it was interesting how the family stayed together through all the years,” said Tasha Carmack, 13.

Some younger children, however, might be overwhelmed by the scenes of lovemaking and killing and the risque Spanish-language insults.

“I think it’s mainly for young adults,” said 12-year-old Tanya Barela, placing herself in that category.

Children who don’t speak Spanish may have trouble with the subtitles. But Tanya said that unlike some other subtitled movies she’s seen, the words remained on screen long enough to read them.

“It was really a touching movie,” she said. “Toward the end, they were all happy, and they knew their spirits were in that house together.”