A Day Without a Mexican
Encyclopedia
A Day Without a Mexican is a 2004 film
directed by Sergio Arau.
A Day Without a Mexican, opened on May 14, 2004 in limited release throughout Southern California
and on September 17 in theaters in Chicago, Texas
, Florida
and New York City
, is a fantasy in which all Mexicans in the U.S. state
of California
suddenly disappear.
This was Eduardo Palomo
's last film before he died of a heart attack.
The disappearance coincides with a "pink fog" which surrounds California. Nothing crosses the pink fog border, and it is said to be responsible for the lack of telephone and internet communications outside the state. During the course of which many theories are brought up concerning the disappearance of the Mexicans from Biological warfare/terrorism to government experiment conspiracies to Alien Abductions and the Rapture.
The film revolves around a series of characters throughout the movie who are affected by the event: Lila Rodriguez (Yareli Arizmendi
), a LA TV reporter whose Mexican parents have disappeared and is considered California's "last remaining Mexican," The temporary Governor of California (John Getz
) and his wife (Melinda Allen), who as the cover shows now has to deal with the work of her Mexican servants. Mary Jo Quintana whose Mexican-musician husband has disappeared. Louis McClaire (Muse Watson
) a California farmer who employs Mexican labourers has a Mexican friend and bigot son who is glad that the Mexicans are gone. As well as several members newscast crew that Lila Rodriguez works with and Border Patrol agents who also lose several Mexican American colleagues. A series of others are randomly interviewed expressing their opinions on the topics.
The show also provides the statistical impact of California's Economy, Law Enforcement and Education systems.
The film was number one at the box office in its opening weekend in Mexico, although it was only a moderate box office success in the United States, grossing an estimated $4.1 million. Critical reception among American reviewers was lukewarm. Ella Taylor of the L.A. weekly describes it as "A terrific premise is mangled to a pulp, then beaten to death in this forced mockumentary." E!
Online is less kind, stating "This Day not only lacks Mexicans but also good acting, sharp storytelling and humor." Rotten Tomatoes
critics on the site list it as a 29% on the Tomatometer.
The trailer of the film in Mexico included the controversial song "Frijolero
" by Molotov
.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
directed by Sergio Arau.
A Day Without a Mexican, opened on May 14, 2004 in limited release throughout Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and on September 17 in theaters in Chicago, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, is a fantasy in which all Mexicans in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
suddenly disappear.
This was Eduardo Palomo
Eduardo Palomo
Eduardo Estrada Palomo was a Mexican actor. Palomo became famous across Mexico and Latin America after his 1993 characterization of Juan del Diablo in Corazón salvaje.-Career:...
's last film before he died of a heart attack.
Plot
This film takes a satirical look at the range of effects on the (non-Mexican, mostly White) Californians who remain if California's Mexican (both U.S. citizens and immigrants) population suddenly disappeared.The disappearance coincides with a "pink fog" which surrounds California. Nothing crosses the pink fog border, and it is said to be responsible for the lack of telephone and internet communications outside the state. During the course of which many theories are brought up concerning the disappearance of the Mexicans from Biological warfare/terrorism to government experiment conspiracies to Alien Abductions and the Rapture.
The film revolves around a series of characters throughout the movie who are affected by the event: Lila Rodriguez (Yareli Arizmendi
Yareli Arizmendi
Yareli Arizmendi is a Cuban-Mexican-American actress, writer, and director.-Biography:“The function of art is to renew our perceptions. The role of the...
), a LA TV reporter whose Mexican parents have disappeared and is considered California's "last remaining Mexican," The temporary Governor of California (John Getz
John Getz
-Personal life:Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in the Mississippi River Valley. He began acting while attending the University of Iowa, where he helped found the Center for New Performing Arts...
) and his wife (Melinda Allen), who as the cover shows now has to deal with the work of her Mexican servants. Mary Jo Quintana whose Mexican-musician husband has disappeared. Louis McClaire (Muse Watson
Muse Watson
Muse Watson is an American stage and screen actor. He most recently appeared as the recurring character Mike Franks in the television drama NCIS.-Biography:Watson was born on July 20, 1948 in Alexandria, Louisiana...
) a California farmer who employs Mexican labourers has a Mexican friend and bigot son who is glad that the Mexicans are gone. As well as several members newscast crew that Lila Rodriguez works with and Border Patrol agents who also lose several Mexican American colleagues. A series of others are randomly interviewed expressing their opinions on the topics.
The show also provides the statistical impact of California's Economy, Law Enforcement and Education systems.
Reception
The film's 2004 awards include best screenplay at the Cartagena Film Festival and a nomination for best film; a special jury award at the Gramado Film Festival; and an award for best editing at the Guadalajara Mexican Film Festival.The film was number one at the box office in its opening weekend in Mexico, although it was only a moderate box office success in the United States, grossing an estimated $4.1 million. Critical reception among American reviewers was lukewarm. Ella Taylor of the L.A. weekly describes it as "A terrific premise is mangled to a pulp, then beaten to death in this forced mockumentary." E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
Online is less kind, stating "This Day not only lacks Mexicans but also good acting, sharp storytelling and humor." Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
critics on the site list it as a 29% on the Tomatometer.
The trailer of the film in Mexico included the controversial song "Frijolero
Frijolero (song)
Frijolero is a song from Molotov's 2003 record Dance and Dense Denso. Its lyrics comprise an exchange where characters trade racially loaded barbs at the Mexico–US border...
" by Molotov
Molotov (band)
Molotov is a four-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Mexican rock band formed in Mexico City on September 23, 1995. Their lyrics feature a mixture of Spanish and English, rapped and sung by all members of the group. Musically, Molotov blends heavy basslines with heavy guitar riffs...
.
See also
- The City Without JewsThe City Without JewsDie Stadt ohne Juden is an Austrian Expressionist film made in 1924 by H. K. Breslauer, based on the book of the same title by Hugo Bettauer. The film is one of the few surviving Expressionist films from Austria, and has therefore been well researched...
: A prophetic Austrian Expressionist film from 1924 on what would happen to Vienna if all its Jewish population were removed.
External links
- A Day Without a Mexican Film's website
- The Latino Impact on the Southern California Economy conference