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Day Without a Mexican, A
Televisa Cine


4.6

based on 11 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 23 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: R for language and brief sexuality

Starring Maureen Flannigan, John Getz, Eduardo Palomo, Caroline Aaron, Yareli Arizmendi, and Muse Watson

In this satire, California wakes up one morning to find that one third of its population has disappeared. A strange thick pink fog surrounds the state and communication outside its boundaries is completely cut off. As the day goes by, we discover that the characteristic that links the 14 million disappeared is their Hispanic background. (Televisa Cine)

GENRE(S):	Comedy \| Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Sergio Arau Yareli Arizmendi Sergio Guerrero
DIRECTED BY:	Sergio Arau
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: November 9, 2004 Video: November 9, 2004 Theatrical: May 14, 2004
RUNNING TIME:	100 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA / Mexico / Spain

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Miami Herald Marta Barber

The intended satire doesn't deliver the kind of punch you may expect, but it nevertheless poses many what-ifs.

Chicago Tribune Achy Obejas

Never really moves beyond its premise. It never takes us to a place of real understanding.

Dallas Observer Jean Oppenheimer

Using humor to make a serious point, Arau suggests that without the millions of Hispanics...life in the Golden State would screech to a halt.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

For the first hour director Arau and his co-writer and wife, actress Arizmendi, negotiate the story's tricky mix of comedy, social satire and science fiction with surprising aplomb.

Variety Robert Koehler

Darkly amusing idea delivers an early salvo that fades as the film swings across a range of styles and tones director Sergio Arau gamely tries to corral. Even at its half-realized level, pic will anger some as it amuses others.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Plenty of salient points to make in this satirical cautionary tale, there's still not enough to sustain the expanded running time.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

A terrific premise is mangled to a pulp, then beaten to death in this forced mockumentary.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

Much of the humor is overly familiar, and the broader elements feel strained when it veers toward melodrama in its final third.

San Francisco Chronicle John McMurtrie

Doesn't know what it wants to be: either a goofball satire or a heavy-handed social-message movie.

New York Post V.A. Musetto

Approach is too heavy-handed to have much effect. Rod Serling probably could have turned the premise into an enjoyable episode of "The Twilight Zone."

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Its narrative conceit will entertain for a while, but eventually you will long to disappear with the rest of the Mexicans.

The average user rating for this movie is 4.6 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tony B. gave it a1:
This is a good idea gone horribly bad!

Kawika gave it a3:
Pretty pathetic if you already have Mexican neighbors and friends that you love and respect. While not disturbing, the gringo stereotypes are put at a silly extreme. While there is a lot of truth to it, the acting and dialogue are poor, the plot is weak, and the movie makes it look like Mexicans are the only likeable people on the planet, as everyone else is pretty annoying. Poor script, ridiculous story, could've been so much more.

Abby H. gave it a 2:
Not as good as I would of hoped!

nanette b gave it an 8:
OK the crying scene and the resolve were weak. But the concept and message were good and so many social issues are threaded through it.

Marie S. gave it a 0:
This is NOT entertainment. This was an hour and a half taken of my life that I will never get back. Not funny, except for one scene where the guy is looking to buy tomatoes and acts like he is scoring drugs. Totally stupid movie that doesn't make sense more than half the time.

Kerrylee E. gave it a 5:
I gave this movie a 5. 5 for the message and 0 for presentation. The movie has a vital social message that responds to California anti-Latino legislation like Proposition 87. But, the presentation style has virtually no appeal. I waited for a turning point in the movie where the director changed the delivery tone from flukey satire to poignantly seriousness. The director really missed the chance to get his/her audience on board with the message. Too Bad.

Jesse M gave it an 8:
Those who think this movie wasn't worth the 8 bucks were probably offended by it...and that's okay. If the shoe fits... As far as film-making is concerned, maybe it could have been better. But the content was much bigger than the production, and I think that is the attitude anyone going to see this film must have.

Day Without a Mexican, A Televisa Cine

Day Without a Mexican, A
Televisa Cine