Feelings, emotions, relationships

The best parts of this movie are the one-liners thrown out there by Cloris Leachman. "Your life is my daughter, my life is myself; neither one works very well," is one example. Another is telling Tea Leoni to just say she is so glad that her husband is back, after he left with the maid for several hours when Tea told him she'd had an affair. But mostly, the story is about adapting to your world, and mainly, how not to do that.

Beginning with the beautiful daughter writing an application to Princeton about her idol - her mother - we learn that the mother was abandoned by her husband and eventually, moved to the US to improve things. Trying to stay in the Mexican part of LA didn't create much income, so the mother takes a maid's job with Adam Sandler's family.

Adam mainly behaves like a grownup, but can't deal with reality very well. As a restaurateur, he prays not to receive a four-star rating which can be taken away, but "fly under the radar" with a 3 and a quarter star rating. He can't deal with his wife's tantrums, and confrontation just isn't an issue. Tea is a mess because she lost her job and her seeming soul. She goes shopping for her overweight daughter and instead of a pick-me-up for her, gets her clothes that will fit if she loses about 10 pounds. Some gift! The son is only in the movie for about two minutes total, and just isn't part of the plot. That's okay.

The gorgeous maid is hired although she speaks almost no English, and Adam is enthralled, but doesn't do anything improper. When she tries to make the daughter feel better about her clothes by moving buttons and letting out seams, she is marvelous but meddling. In fact, this movie is more about the difference between meddling and helping than it is anything else.

Tea lets it all hang out here - she cries until her nose's edges are rough, red and raw. She is so flaky, but gorgeous, and you know right away she'll run off with the real estate agent. Adam is a little heavier physically than ever before, and he, in his own way, is neurotic as well. The girls, the Mexican and the American, are very cute in their own ways, and even the Mexican mother is trying to figure things out.

Whose life is whose? That Fleur can throw the ball to the dog and it doesn't bother her (off limits according to Tea who can't tell the dog to stop once he starts), can help this family, can move to the beach with her child, can argue with Adam Sandler about interfering, shows her depth, and her understanding. Adam is just lost in his new success.

Two hours flies by; this movie has more to watch than any I've seen recently, and finally, finally, it is a movie for adults. Very well directed in beautiful Malibu and Beverly Hills, and very well acted. Take time to see this - it is one that can be missed during all the hoopla of the holiday.