 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
- Review Date: January 26, 2009
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Tedious drama wastes its promise despite strong acting.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this film examines how three women in one family but of different generations explore their sexuality and, in doing so, learn more about themselves. There's swearing, sexual innuendoes, and allusions to sex toys.
What's the story?
How did the Garcia girls -- 17-year-old Blanca (America Ferrera); her mother, Lolita (Elizabeth Peea); and her grandmother, Dooa Genoveva (Lucy Gallardo) -- spend their summer? By expanding their sexual and emotional horizons, that's how. Blanca's attracted to a newcomer to her Arizona town who's said to have a sketchy past; the husband of one of Lolita's customers at the meat shop is hitting on her, and she's tempted, even as she fends off the advances of the butcher; and Dooa Genoveva finds her yearnings rekindled when she buys a car she can't drive and enlists her gardener (Jorge Cervera Jr.) to teach her how. But that's not all she learns from him.
Is it any good?
You'd think the film's subject matter would make for an engrossing movie, but not so. Though the acting's fantastic, particularly the film's three leads, HOW THE GARCIA GIRLS SPENT THEIR SUMMER is tedious. It has so much potential -- it covers new ground by looking at intergenerational ennui, one of the reasons it may have won a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival -- but turns out unoriginal.
Some scenes dawdle for far too long, gumming up the works. Moments that ought to have been dramatic seem forced, and long before the film is over we sadly stop caring. Except perhaps for the gaggle of male retirees whose observations, spliced into the main story, elicit much-needed interest.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the women: How are they similar and different? What are each of them seeking? How do they handle their dissatisfaction? Is Blanca simply rebelling, or truly interested in exploring her sexuality? Why is Lolita tempted by her customer's husband? And why is Dooa Genoveva so mad at her daughter when she herself seems to need companionship?
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| Studio: | Maya Entertainment |
| Director: | Georgina Riedel |
| Cast: | America Ferrera, Elizabeth Pena, Lucy Gallardo |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 128 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 9, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | August 12, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual content and some language |
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