“Mi Familia” is a drama written and directed by Gregory Nava, which may make you wish that you were a part of Jose and Maria’s family. All three generations described by Nava are ready to put up with physical and emotional suffering for the family. Even though every family has its ups and downs, the family gives comfort when one is hurt, it gives protection when one is vulnerable, and it gives unconditional love every moment of our lives. The present paper argues that family provides a sense of stability and protection in the ever-changing circumstances of the real world, which is crucial for all people today.
The story told by Nava in “Mi Familia” revolves around the family of Jose and Maria starting from the 1930s and ending in the 1970s. The story begins when Jose meets his distant relative, El Californio, who was born in Los Angeles when it was still Mexican. El Californio is the first symbol of stability, as even though the country has changed, he remained the same, loyal to his family. Even after realizing that Jose had not met any of the El Californio’s close family, the old man says, “How good it is to have some family here! It’s almost like you are my grandson!” (Nava 00:07:55-00.08.05). In this scene, Jose learns that El Californio’s love and acceptance is unconditional for family members and carries this knowledge through his whole life.
After El Californio’s death, Jose becomes the owner of the house, which is also the symbol of stability on its own. The planted beans and the cornfields are a connective thread of heritage to every person in the family (McClain). At the end of the movie, the narrator, Paco, says that “the piece of our spirits stayed behind and lived in all the empty chairs” of that house (Nava 01:58:54-01:58:59). People got old and died in the house; the clothes and the talks may have changed; however, the cornfields and the chairs around the family dinner table remained the same and were always ready to comfort their owners.
It is crucial to notice that every family member, despite their personalities, cherished the family values, which is another thing that remained unchanged. During the wedding, Jose tells all the guests that “the greatest riches a man can have in his life – familia!” (Nava 00:30:08-00:30:34). During the same wedding, Chucho tells his rival, Butch Mejia, that he was ready to permit any offenses, as it was a special day for the family. At the end of the movie, Jimmy realizes the importance of family and decides that he will take care of his son, Carlitos, regardless of his past. This demonstrates that even though families have their ups and downs, they always feel responsible for each other (Kaltenbach). Thus, family values are a source of stability for all the family members.
Finally, it is crucial to mention that family is something that brings comfort and stability to everyone because the Lord is always its center. At the beginning of the movie, Jose sees an angel on the day when Chucho was conceived. At the end of the film, the angel can still be seen in the sky, after Jose and Maria say that God was good to them. God is also the symbol of stability, as He always loves people regardless of their deeds.
In conclusion, “Mi Familia” is a drama the focuses on the importance of family throughout generations. All family members are ready to share all the problems and joys with each other unconditionally. However, the central idea that Nava focused on throughout the movies is that family unites all the generations through the stability of traditions and values, which are crucial in the constantly changing environment of today’s life.
Works Cited
McClain, Carrie. “The Duality of Color in My Family, Mi Familia.” Medium, 2018. Web.
Kaltenbach, Chris. “‘My Family’ has 60 years of family values.” Baltimore Sun, 1995. Web.
Nava, Gregory. “My Family / Mi Familia.” YouTube, uploaded by Dark Zero, 2014. Web.