A Day Without a Mexican
| A Day Without a Mexican | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Sergio Arau |
| Produced by | Isaac Artenstein |
| Written by |
Sergio Arau Yareli Arizmendi Sergio Guerrero |
| Starring |
Yareli Arizmendi John Getz Maureen Flannigan |
| Music by |
Juan Colomer Molotov |
| Cinematography | Alan Caudillo |
| Edited by |
Daniel Fort Shaula Vega (uncredited) |
| Distributed by |
Altavista Films Televisa Cine |
Release date | May 14, 2004 |
Running time | 100 min. |
| Country |
United States Mexico Spain |
| Language |
English Spanish |
A Day Without a Mexican is a 2004 film directed by Sergio Arau.[1]
It offers a satirical look at the consequences of all the Mexicans in the state of California suddenly disappearing (with a mysterious "pink fog" surrounding the state preventing any communication or movement with the outside world). A series of characters shows the apparent statistical impact of Mexicans on California's economy, law enforcement, and education systems and the resulting social unrest. It was Eduardo Palomo's last film.
Theatrical release
The film opened on May 14, 2004, in limited release throughout Southern California and on September 17 in theaters in Chicago, Texas, Florida, and New York City.
Reception
The film's 2004 awards include best screenplay at the Cartagena Film Festival and a nomination for best film, a special jury award at the Gramado Film Festival, and an award for best editing at the Guadalajara Film Festival.
The film was number one at the box office in its opening weekend in Mexico, although it was only a moderate box-office success in the United States, grossing an estimated $4.1 million. Critical reception among American reviewers was lukewarm. Ella Taylor of the LA Weekly describes it as, "A terrific premise is mangled to a pulp, then beaten to death in this forced mockumentary."[2] E! was less kind, stating, "This Day not only lacks Mexicans but also good acting, sharp storytelling, and humor."[3] Rotten Tomatoes critics on the site list it as a 27% on the Tomatometer.[4]