A Million to Juan

A Million to Juan is a 1994 romantic comedy film starring comedian Paul Rodriguez. It was also his directorial debut. The story is a modern spin on Mark Twain's story "The Million Pound Bank Note".

A Million to Juan
VHS artwork
Directed byPaul Rodriguez
Produced byExecutive Producers:
Mark Amin
Gary Binkow
Producers:
Barry L. Collier
Steven Paul
Written byScreenplay:
Robert Grasmere
Francisca Matos
Story:
Mark Twain
Starring
Music byJeffrey Johnson
Steven Jae Johnson
CinematographyBruce Douglas Johnson
Edited byMichael Ripps
Jack Tucker
Production
company
Prism Entertainment Corp.
Distributed byThe Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date
  • May 15, 1994 (1994-05-15) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Alejandro Lopez narrates the events of his father Juan Lopez's life, and how by selling oranges he changed their lives.

Juan was born on a strawberry field in Bakersfield, California, but due to hardship, his mother decided to relocate to Mexico. As an undocumented citizen (due to no proof of US citizenship), Juan struggles in Los Angeles not only to get a green card, but to care solely for Alejandro after Juan's wife's death.

Juan sells oranges near a freeway. He lives with two roommates and his young son. He loves to cook and feed them creative meals as he tries desperately to raise Alejandro. He is stressed as he battles landlords and immigration.

One afternoon, a stranger in a limousine finds Juan, on the street corner, broke. The wealthy stranger realizes the situation and quietly hands to Juan a check for $1 million, but under the condition that he MUST give back all the money in one month. Juan is suspicious and shows the check to Olivia Smith, his son's social worker, who encourages him to follow the directions given him. Instead, he is encouraged by his brothers to use the check to get credit extended to them at several posh Hollywood clothing stores, an exotic car dealership, and more.

Juan comes to learn that Olivia is a woman in a difficult and likely dead-end relationship with a bossy businessman who cares little if nothing about her and the lives of the poor, unfortunately in this instance, the less educated Hispanics living and working, doing unskilled work in Metro Los Angeles. Then the fun begins for good-natured Juan Lopez, who has to avoid temptations and the greedy people that who have suddenly popped-up in his life suddenly, but are soon to be part of this brief and fleeting life as a "once upon a time moment as a virtual one month millionaire."

Juan begins to realize, money is not everything in one's life despite some very valuable materials things that can come, go, be given, and even taken away. He begins to realize, that the true meaning of life is truly love, family, and happiness, and that money alone isn't the answer.

Unfortunately, the millionaire experience begins to wane, ending with an embarrassing but necessary repossession of a luxury sports car and the removal of the tremendous fancy wardrobe. Juan and his brothers are seen shortly thereafter, garbed in their plain and ordinary street clothes; the only thing left are the clothes on their backs. A sad and depressed Juan is back on the street and without his true love who rejected him in favor of the practical but unhappy relationship with the smug, arrogant, but very wealthy businessman boyfriend.

Juan is back on the Los Angeles street corner near the highway, selling plastic bags of oranges from a small shopping cart. The stranger appears again, and from his limousine, hands Juan another envelope which contains a piece of paper with a simple address in Central Los Angeles. The stranger tells Juan to go there. Depressed, Juan tells the stranger his earlier efforts brought only unhappiness and disappointment to this life. The stranger tells Juan that it's up to Juan to take a chance in life despite his feelings, that to try and to care in life is hopeless.

Later that afternoon, a convertible routinely drives up and stops near Juan. A lady says quietly, but with a big smile: "Oranges, "Por Favor." The movie ends with the promise and hope of a complete and fulfilling future for Juan, his son, brothers, and a few more.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

The staff at Variety magazine gave the film a mixed review, writing, "The odds of A Million to Juan breaking out of its inherent niche-market appeal can be summed up in its title. This gentle rags-to-riches tale set in the Los Angeles barrio is a good-natured parable that, unfortunately, doesn't pack much commercial punch. Its positive intentions aren't enough to cross over into the mainstream...While Rodriguez adheres to the movie dictum of happy endings, his mix of message/mirth is too soft and mushy to reach a contemporary crowd."[1]

Film critic Marc Savlov also gave the film a mixed review, writing, "...comedian Paul Rodriguez has taken a laudable step in the right direction with his directorial debut. Unfortunately, it's no masterpiece...Rodriguez's comic sensibilities are usually razor-keen, but here, blunted by a cliché-riddled storyline and scattershot direction, they seem nonexistent.[2]

Bob Strauss, a critic for Los Angeles Daily News, listed the film as the year's third worst on his year-end list.[3]

Box office

The film opened on May 15, 1994, in the United States on a limited release.

After one week, the film went to home video. Box-office sales the only week in circulation were $381,457 in 181 theatres.[4] However, IMDb reports $1,221,832 in box-office receipts.

Soundtrack

A Latino-themed original soundtrack was released on June 14, 1994, on the RMM Records & Video label, an independent Latin music record company based in New York City. The album contains 14 tracks. Performers include Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, Aramis Camilo, Marcos Loya, Carla De Leon, John Pena, John Saldano, Carl Hatem and others.

See also

References
  1. Klady, Leonard (May 13, 1994). "A Million to Juan". Variety. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  2. Savlov, Marc (May 20, 1994). "A Million to Juan". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  3. Strauss, Bob (December 30, 1994). "At the Movies: Quantity Over Quality". Los Angeles Daily News (Valley ed.). p. L6.
  4. "A Million to Juan (1994)". the-numbers.com. The Numbers. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
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