El Viaje de Carol

Right away I could tell that Carol was a "free spirit". She did what she wanted when she wanted and how she wanted to do it. She was not afraid to stand up for herself like when Tomiche stole her hat and she kicked him right in the groin. It seemed like Carol was always looking for adventure and a way to escape. She would not wear skirts and dresses like other girls but instead wore slacks and button down shirts like the boys.When Carol's mom passes away she is forced to live with her aunt. I think this is where Carol's rebellious ways really come out and we see who she truly is. Carol, being from New York was always up front with people and told them exactly how she felt. Being in a warm climate culture, Carol had trouble adapting to the culture. Through Tomiche, Carol was able to discover what was really going on in Spain at the time. She was shocked by the cruelty of the soldiers and how they would execute towns people for no real reason. In the end Carol, through hard times and struggle is able to mature into an adult and come into her own.

Volver

I believe that this movie is considered to be a tribute women and their resilience because it shows Raimunda, A strong independent woman, work through unspeakable circumstances.  Not only did she have to work several jobs to keep her "daughter" and her husband living at a comfortable status, she also had to cover up for her daughters  murder. It was amazing to see how well Raimunda stayed composed while so many terrible things where happening in her life. When she had her husband stashed in a freezer box and she found out that her aunt just died and all of these things, she still managed to put together a meal for 30 people.  The movie showed that it is not impossible to make it through some of life's roughest situations.
The first superstition i noticed in the movie was when the family was driving back to their home and Raimunda mentioned the Eastern Winds and how they make everyone crazy. Also during the funeral the one neighbor was talking about how a spirit told her to check on the Aunt because something was wrong.

Entre Nos

When Mariana's husband abandons the family the wife and kids are basically forced into survival mode. They have to work as a team, all contributing to the everyday needs to make it day to day. The first thing I noticed was that Gabi had to take over the role of provider, he did everything he could to keep his mother and sister in a happy mood even though they were in tough times. This leads me to believe that when the Dad left and whispered something into Gabi's ear he most likely said something along the lines of "You are the man now, you need to take care of your sister and Mom", that's why right away Gabi took over the role. It was amazing how well they did in America when Gabi was the only one who spoke some English.
I think that it was amazing how Mariana did not waste anytime when It came to figure out how to take care of herself and her children. She could of just lost control and cried for days or something because of her terrible situation but instead she kept her chin held high and pressed on doing everything she could to provide food, shelter and entertainment for her two kids.
I feel like it is not uncommon for the husband of a American family to just up and leave and have the mother's fend for themselves.
My favorite part of the movie was the end when Gabi stood up and told his class that this was his first summer in America, the class had no idea what he had bee-n through that summer.
-Daniel

The Official Story

I believe that Alicia will have no choice but ti reconcile her thoughts in regards to her daughter and where she came from. Throughout the movie I could clearly see how the situation just ate away at Alicia. Ever since her friend brought it up that one night it seemed to be the only thing running through her mind. The fact that she could have taken a child from a mother who did not want to give up her child was not something Alicia could deal with. Everyone else just wanted Alicia to leave the past alone and appreciate the fact that she had a child. At some point Alicia will have to learn some way to deal with the facts about Gaby. If she does not it will clearly consume her and destroy every relationship she has. The movie showed how the situation destroyed Alicia's relationship with her husband but on the other hand, it allowed her to reach common ground with her High school students.  This would be a terrible/horrible situation to be in. I could see how Alicia was torn when it came to wanting to let Gabby's possible Grandmother into her life but at the same time did not want that past to become part of her present/future.  The situation is very complex and most likely would take Alicia a long time to smooth out.
- Daniel