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      Bread and Roses

      R Released Sep 14, 2000 1 hr. 50 min. Drama List
      67% 63 Reviews Tomatometer 78% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score In Los Angeles, illegal Mexican immigrant Maya (Pilar Padilla) finds work as a janitor through her sister, Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo). However, since both work for a non-union company, conditions are grim. After putting up with abuse from her bosses, Maya is open to the pro-union rhetoric offered by organizer Sam Shapiro (Adrien Brody). Rosa, however, is far less interested in clashing with management, given the needs of her family, and a rift begins to form between the sisters. Read More Read Less
      Bread and Roses

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      Critics Consensus

      Bread and Roses has powerful moments, but it also sometimes descends into preachiness.

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      Audience Reviews

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      dave j common theme of the middle class director, Ken Loach depicting illegal immigration rights and unions. Starring Pilar Padilla as Maya employed as a maid at a high class hotel crossing paths with Sam (Adrien Brody) attempting to form an union within the janitor workers of the hotel. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Great film about immigrants in the workplace and unionization Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member I never tire of Ken Loach's films. This one I watched back-to-back with Norma Rae and there is some complexity and thoughfulness to the characters here that could only have come only from a director who had made films like those that Loach is famous for, and the understanding he has about Class, that an American director sadly would have handled with far less perception. I did not catch some of Loach's trademarks but it was interesting to see him take on issues in my own country. I found myself a bit dismayed by the ending but the tragic end for his heroes is on thinking it over typical for him... and probably what separates this from usual Hollywood. I recommend this (and all his films)highly. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Sing it, Lennon: power to the people Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Damn pinkos. How dare anyone in America expect due compensation for work provided? Let alone...immigrants? Of course, I jest. Few things depress me as much as labor talks. The labor situation in this country is a joke, but if you even mention possible solutions in this part of the country, well... A pro-union movie is not automatically good. Usually, it's quite the contrary as it seems they are more independent productions than anything else. This movie is no different. Adrien Brody has some star power, and you might recognize a few people throughout, but Brody allegedly took the role without even seeing a script. So it's not like it is a great piece of art and people just signed up. The workers have a legitimate grip. Lopez is more or less horrible playing the boss of a cleaning agency. By that, I mean the acting is horrible, but I don't doubt bosses like that exist. (You know, I did work for quite a tyrant while at Dillons...don't shop there). The movement to organized labor is a little silly. Brody comes in and by movie's end, well damn, they are going to get treated like humans. Rarely does this happen. Steinbeck wrote of the labor struggles as they happened, without the optimism one might have today. For that reason, his stories are much more credible, maddening, and realistic. Finally, for as low budget at this is, two things struck me: one, a scene between Brody and his tie-wearing supervisor. I've long made this point: you don't have to look a part to play it. I'd rather have that tie-wearing dude, who was probably pretty much on the same page as Brody, fighting for me than the more disheveled Brody character. And two: I have little sympathy for the sister who sells her body over and over to help her loved ones. It makes her hate the world. Well, goddammit, quit submitting to it. Did selling her body every really help? That's arguable. As long as someone can get away with that, no one is helped. It changes the system for the rest of us who aren't willing to sell ourselves so easily. So that scene bothered me 1. because real people do endure situations like that and it is tragic and 2. because I don't like them for it. And then I feel guilty. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member I watched this film for my chicano studies class and I thought it was good. The best part about it was the acting by Elpidia Carrillo. One scene stood out to me in particular involving Carillo's character, Rosa, who reveals her unsettling past and what she's had to do to keep her family afloat. I would watch it again if only for that scene. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Steve Murray Atlanta Journal-Constitution Rated: B+ Nov 30, 2001 Full Review Desson Thomson Washington Post There's every reason to watch Bread and Roses Rated: 4/5 Jul 12, 2001 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Presents a slice of life that has hardly made a scratch on American celluloid. With any luck, that scratch will help generate a real itch. Rated: 2.5/5 Jun 25, 2001 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: B- Aug 11, 2012 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 3/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Kit Bowen Hollywood.com Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 14, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis In Los Angeles, illegal Mexican immigrant Maya (Pilar Padilla) finds work as a janitor through her sister, Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo). However, since both work for a non-union company, conditions are grim. After putting up with abuse from her bosses, Maya is open to the pro-union rhetoric offered by organizer Sam Shapiro (Adrien Brody). Rosa, however, is far less interested in clashing with management, given the needs of her family, and a rift begins to form between the sisters.
      Director
      Ken Loach
      Executive Producer
      Ulrich Felsberg
      Screenwriter
      Paul Laverty
      Distributor
      Lionsgate Films
      Production Co
      Degeto Film, Arte, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, BSkyB, Parallax Pictures, Tornasol Films S.A., Bac Films, La Sept-Arte, British Screen Productions, FilmFour, Cinart, Filmcoopi Zürich, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Alta Films Productions, Road Movies Filmproduktion [de], B.I.M.
      Rating
      R (Strong Language|Brief Nudity)
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 14, 2000, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 30, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $536.5K
      Sound Mix
      Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround