Well-intentioned and boasting one excellent performance (by Anjelica Huston), "The Perez Family" is an uncomfortable mix of goofy comedy and serious drama, with a bit of romantic mysticism toward the end.
The subject is Cuban refugees landing in the United States in 1980, only to discover that life in Miami's Little Havana looks pretty bleak without an American sponsor.
Juan Raul Perez (Alfred Molina), who has been a political prisoner for 20 years, is released and forced onto a boat heading for Miami. There he meets a young ex-hooker named Dottie Perez (Marisa Tomei). And since they have the same last name, they are mistakenly housed as man and wife.
Juan yearns for his real wife, Carmela (Huston), who has been living in Miami and faithfully awaiting Juan's return for the past two decades. But her overprotective brother Angel (Diego Wall-raff) tells her the last boat has landed and Juan wasn't on it. So, she begins mourning.
Angel's misguided attempts to make Carmela's home a safe place lead to a series of comic encounters with local police because her burglar alarm keeps tripping. And when she meets federal agent Pirelli (Chazz Palminteri), she decides to start dating again.
Meanwhile, overzealous Dottie recruits a couple of "family members," a phony son and father-in-law, to help their names rise on the potential sponsor list. Juan wants to see Carmela but he's afraid to face her, and eventually he goes along with Dottie's scheme.
Mistaken identities, coincidences and overly contrived incidents abound, and when the film is serious it fares pretty well. But the comedy is way off base, especially several scenes of failed slapstick. And the performances by Tomei and especially Wallraff are embarrassing hispanic stereotypes.
"The Perez Family" has its moments, but is mostly a mess.
The film is rated R for violence, profanity, vulgarity, sex and nudity.