A Day Without a Mexican
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Caroline Aaron, Fernando Arau, Frankie J. Allison, Melinda Allen, Tony AbatemarcoBrand: XEN
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-11-09
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Xenon
Movie Reviews of A Day Without a Mexican
Movie Review: California Dreaming
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a sci-fi/mockumentary/social message sort of movie that tells us a whole lot without taking itself too seriously to have fun. A strange fog surrounds the state of California, making it impossible for any communication outside the state or into it, and when the fog comes the Hispanic population disappears, save for one woman, a reporter by the name of Lila Rodriguez.
With a third of the population missing, California, a place with the fifth largest economy in the world, goes into a chaotic collapse. On the low end of the economy, there is no one to pick the fruit, which accounts for California's number one industry. Elsewhere, husbands, parents, and people from all walks of life, including the Border Patrol, vanish and leave friends and loved ones confused and lost. Freeways are empty, and there is a poignant scene in which we see a driverless lowrider go bouncing down a SoCal street.
The star of the film is the reporter left behind, the lone Hispanic, the "L" factor who becomes her own reality show as a camera is set up in her hospital room and people gather outside her window in a bizarre gringo seranade. However, it seems every character in this movie is well written and well acted without exception, from the lovesick anchorwoman to the governor and his ditzy wife. The late Eduardo Palomo turns out a solid performance (I believe his last before he dropped dead of a heart attack) as Roberto Quintana, a Tejano rock front man who leaves behind a wife, two kids, and two front teeth.
This movie pretty much gives anyone the finger who has prejudices against the Mexican population of California, and indeed, the entire Hispanic population of the state. As it is pointed out in the movie, if a Hispanic lives on the West Coast, they are presumed to be Mexican. It's a hypothetical, "you'll miss us if we are gone", and it shows how dependent California economy is on the aliens from across the border, legal or not.
Political? Sure. Overwhelming in its political message? Not at all. This movie is hilarious, and the message is neither lost in the humor, nor is the humor lost in the message.
So, Californians, next time you want to complain about the "beaners", watch this movie.
Summary of A Day Without a Mexican
California awakens one day to discover that one third of its population has vanished. A peculiar pink fog surrounds the state and communication outside its boundaries has completely shut down. As the day progresses, it becomes apparent that the sole characteristic linking the missing 14 million is their Hispanic heritage.Similar DVD Movies
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