The Perez Family (1995)

Directed by

Mira Nair

Genre

drama film, comedy film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 48m

Rated

R

Rating

6.1 of 10 from 42 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A group of Cuban refugees with the last name Perez pretend to be a family in 1980s America to stay in the country. The story follows a former aristocrat and a former prostitute who are mistaken for a married couple by immigration officials.

heartfeltlightheartedquirkybittersweetwhimsicalwarmplayfulromantic

What happens

The Perez Family is an American comedy film released in 1995 about a group of Cuban refugees in America who pretend to be a family. It stars Marisa Tomei, Alfred Molina, Anjelica Huston, Chazz Palminteri, and other well-known actors. It was based on the 1990 novel The Perez Family by Christine Bell. The film was directed by Mira Nair. The film is centered around a group of unrelated people who share the last name "Pérez" and who realize they could more easily stay in America if they pretend to be a family. Set in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift, the movie shows Juan Raúl Pérez (Alfred Molina), a former aristocrat and newly released political prisoner, seeking to return to his wife, now in America, after 20 years. Dottie Pérez (Marisa Tomei) is a former prostitute, who Juan meets. U.S. Immigration officials assume the two are married, because of the common last name. The potential for a real romantic relationship between the couple sets the basis for much of the rest of the film. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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