I Laughed...I Cried...I Enjoyed...

I laughed out loud, I cried, I was captivated every minute by a
little Spanish film (English subtitles) about the relationship
between a play-boy gigolo father and the daughter dumped
on him by her mother after the two had a brief fling in Acapulco,
Mexico.

"Instructions Not Included" was a total surprise to me, and as
I have checked it out on-line, it has apparently been quite a
surprise at the box office, too. Great cast...lovely, tender story...
and don't be misled by the poster or the trailers which seem to
indicate this is JUST a comedy. Laughter abounds, yes, but
the story goes far deeper than the usual yuck-fest which has
seemed to dominate so much of American comedic films in
recent years. It's about relationships...life changes...over-
coming fears...truth...brokenness...healing- anything but the
usual cookie-cutter model of a comedy. Actually, it fits the
Shakespearean model of a "comedy" far more closely than
what the American audience has become accustomed to
seeing.

I emerged from the theater (I was the only person in the
particular auditorium in which I sat) wiping tears from my
eyes but with a smile on my face. And it takes quite a
film to do that, I'm sure you'll agree. So if you want to spend
a couple of hours immersed in a lovely movie with themes
enough to touch every heart, then this is my recommendation.
And believe me, the subtitles detract not one bit...in fact,
it was fun to try to see how much of the Spanish I understood.
Remember, it's called "Instructions Not Included", all about
parenthood and relationships, sorrow and joy. What more
could you want for $6.75? (The price of a Senior ticket at my
favorite theater.)

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