Abandon ye Millions

A MILLION TO JUAN (1994)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Paul Rodriguez's "A Million to Juan" seemingly wants to be a raucous, wild comedy about greed, perhaps a touch of "Brewster's Millions" with a Latino edge. Rodriguez, serving as a debuting director, constructs "A Million to Juan" as a comedy with more dramatic moments, accentuated by a commentary on illegal immigration and the fear of reporting on slumlords that could lead to deportation. The film is not a total success but it is a suitable enough entertainment to make one wish it took more chances.

Rodriguez is the title character, an undocumented L.A. citizen (not an illegal immigrant) living with his son, Alejandro (Jonathan Hernandez), and two roommates in a tight slum of an apartment. The apartment building is in such shambles that the slumlord (a wicked bastard played by Paul Williams) refuses to fix the heating system. Juan wants a life with his son that doesn't include him selling oranges on the street corner by the freeway. One smoggy day in East L.A., an unseen stranger in a white limo hands Juan a million dollar check. The catch is that Juan can spend it, as long as he gives it back by the end of a 30-day trial period (not sure I really get the point of that - at least in "Brewster's Millions," the main character was able to spend the money and earn more if spent under strict regulations. Of course, this is based on Mark Twain's "The Million Pound Bank Note" where this presentation of the note is enough to warrant full credit at any store). Nevertheless, Juan and his two roommates show the check to the bank and plenty of high-end businesses and he never spends a dime - showing the check grants Juan collateral to get free meals, free groceries, free cars, free everything, including a Latina who craves a man with a nice car and a job. In actuality, Juan has his romantic sights set on an INS case worker (Polly Draper) who is impressed by Juan's ambitions to someday run a restaurant.

"A Million to Juan" is a safe, family-friendly film that barely exploits its premise. It never takes its central idea and runs with it - it mostly runs circles around it. Juan never spends a dime and would rather be working and do away with the check - are you kidding me? The screenplay by Robert Grasmere and Francisca Matos spends its time instead with the INS case worker and other supporting characters, particularly some neighbors that results in a tragedy which does little for the comic output of the movie.

I am not completely disregarding "A Million to Juan." Paul Rodriguez is a likable enough actor and his and other characters are hardly depicted as stereotypes (well, with the exception of the Latina and Mr. Gerardo's "Rico, Suave" act). The characters are mostly written with a touch of humanity and the immigration issues are brought into the mix with honesty and some biting humor. But none of this holds enough water for its premise that is open to so many possibilities - all squandered for the sake of a predictable plot and an ending that is sweet yet hardly unexpected. I was expecting a comic tale of greed where Juan learns that money isn't everything. Instead, I got a movie about a familial, romantic, nice guy who has no greedy inclinations and just wants to open a restaurant.