MovieChat Forums > Bread and Roses (2000) Discussion > Elpidia Carrillo deserved the 2000 Oscar...

Elpidia Carrillo deserved the 2000 Oscar for this

posted 18 years ago by clydach
10 replies | jump to latest

It could be argued that Bread and Roses was pretty much standard issue Brit agit-prop, transplanted to L.A., although any movie directed by Ken Loach is worthy of attention, I think. Nevertheless, Elpidia Carrillo's performance as Rosa had a level of dramatic power that elevated the film to another level. (Mild spoiler ahead): The scene where she disclosed the severe indignities she had suffered in support of her family was gut-wrenchingly powerful, absolutely believable and full of the actress's fierce intelligence. No disrespect to Marcia Gay Harden, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar that year for her performance in Pollock, or to Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand (both nominated for Almost Famous), Judi Dench (Chocolat), or Julie Walters (Billy Elliott), but none of them had an impact on their films as significant as Elpidia Carrillo's did on Bread and Roses. The Pilar Padilla / Adrien Brody thread of the story had its charms, but the in-your-face compassion of the story was directed at what people frequently suffer because of their social status in America, and there was no doubt where that came from most eloquently: Elpidia Carrillo.

[–] sadie_001 18 years ago

I agree clydach.. I did cry in her scene. I though she really put it out there for all immigrants. Her scene is really draining for me to watch because it was so powerful. She really put more emotions than all of the nominee combined. Another scene that made me cry was when George Lopez fires this one women for coming late to work and forgeting her glasses.

[–] pt_lopez 17 years ago

i agree. Both of those scenes made me emotional too, sadie_001. When Rosa reveals what she did to support the family, I was shocked. That actress was robbed of that Oscar. That scene was so incredibly moving.
But the scene where George Lopez fires that older woman made me especially sad because she reminded me of my own mother. His character was such a jerk.

Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends.

[–] glenwoodave 16 years ago

I also cried when the older lady was fired. She was so realistically scared and humble...mumbling her apologies; she broke my heart. I had to look her up on imdb. Her name is Estela Maeda and this is her only credit, so she might not be a professional actress; either way that performance was remarkable I thought.

I agree with you all about Rosa's performance. Powerful and Oscar-worthy.

I only watched this last night on tv because Ken Loach directed and I've never forgotten a tv drama of his that was shown in England when I was a kid (I live in the US now). It was called Cathy Come Home and it was so wrenching and powerful (about homelessness) that it caused comment in Parliament and eventually it caused the British Government to adopt more compassionate policies toward homeless people!

Final comment: I always thought Adrian Brody was a good actor but now he's on my hot list too. I never saw him look so handsome.

[–] nazmondo 15 years ago

I've just watched Bread and Roses and I have to agree with you that: 1) the actress who played Rosa gave a powerful performance 2) Adrien Brody was looking unusually hot with his beard and messy hair! There's another great film of Ken Loach's called Carla's Song, starring Robert Carlyle, which you may enjoy.

[–] jellybellybean8287 18 years ago

Hey, just saw the movie and I'm a fan of Elpidia Carrillo after seeing "Mi familia" but I didn't catch the what she was saying in the scene that everyone seems to be talking about. I only understood "mundo." Can someone please translate it for me? Thank you.

[–] sadie_001 18 years ago

hey Jellybean,

Her whole conversation is this...

To support her family in Mexico, she was a prostitute. None of her family knew or choose to question how she supported them. Maya had no idea. In order for Elpidia to get Maya the job, she had to blow George Lopez. She was upset when Maya was fired because she did not like blowing George but it was the only way she would get Maya the job. Elpidia turned against the Union Strikers because she felt they would not win or was pressure to. Maya called her a traitor. Elpidia was sick and tired of supporting her family by prostituting. She never like it because it was a dirty profession. It was the only way she would support her family and Maya in mexico. She does not know who the fathers are of her daughters because she conceive her children at the time of her prostituting. She felt that Maya was ungrateful. That was the whole arguement. She worked so hard for supporting her family & Maya calls her a traitor. Maya did not realize how tough Elpidia had to work to save her family. In some way, Maya thought Elpidia had it easy.....The arguement scene was when she confronts Maya her past and her anger.

[–] jellybellybean8287 18 years ago

Wow, that's intense! Thank you for the info!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] chhoti 18 years ago

I agree with Clydach. No disrespect to Harden or the other actresses, who were all good in their roles, but none of them had a harder role or less time and money than Elpidia and she did a phenomenal job. So much so that six years later I had to watch it again because I couldn't forget about it. I saw Pollock too but barely remember Harden's character. A role like Rosa's is much too political and the movie shines a negative light on the US treatment of immigrants, especially women, for it to win such a mainstream award. It's hard to watch. And should be seen by all.

[–] 18 years ago

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