Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘A Million to Juan’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

It is a question we have all asked ourselves or been asked at one time or another...what would you do with a million dollars? It's a valid question. We all work hard for a living, do our best to pay our bills and make sure there is a roof over our heads and food on our tables, and a million bucks would certainly make our lives easier.

If we had that kind of money, those bills would likely be paid off, we could possibly own the roof over our heads and heck, we might even hire a personal chef. But as we all know, there is a dark side to having that kind of cash in our possession. In fact, it is even documented by former lottery winners that people they never met before would show up at their doorstep expecting a handout, or...the money simply ran out. Truly the possibilities are endless, and it is the roller coaster ride of suddenly becoming a millionaire that is explored in the 1994 comedy/drama, A Million to Juan.  

Juan Lopez, an immigrant, wants nothing more than a chance to live the American Dream. He would love to own his own business, see his son get a good education and come home to a comfortable house where he can be greeted by the love of his life. But time appears to be running out for Juan to accomplish all of his goals. There is a chance immigration may deport him and he is helpless to do anything about it. That is until a stranger provides him with the opportunity to take part in a 'social experiment', wherein he receives a check for a million dollars. He is not allowed to cash the check and must return it in thirty days...but the sheer fact that it is in his possession will change his life forever. 

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This is hands down, a warm and endearing film that sadly only managed to find its way to home video. I say that it is warm and endearing because while this movie has a chance to play off of everything in a ridiculous and over the top fashion, it instead gives us a down to earth story of Mexican immigrants just trying to get by and be as honest as they possibly can all while the miracle surprise of a million dollars turns their lives upside down.  

It's refreshing to say the least because of the fact that Juan Lopez, played by comedian Paul Rodriguez, has no aspirations to be rich.  He simply aspires to live a happy and fulfilling life, one where he can be a great father to his son and share the rest of his days with someone he truly loves. If anything, the villain of the film is the check itself and the evil that it seems to do to the people around Juan. Suddenly everyone is his friend and willing to give him anything he wants when they normally wouldn't give him the time of day without that money in his hands and it's wonderful to see a film that features such a grounded and all around good guy such as Juan, especially now in an era where so many people aspire to be rich and famous over anything else.

Either way, this is just a lovely little film that does its best to send nothing but heartwarming messages our way and it reminds us just how important it is to keep our family in our lives and that it is critical to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way, because you never know what wonders will come from taking a chance. Sadly, this movie a tough find these days, in fact I got my copy on Amazon. But I will tell you this, this is definitely the film one needs to watch when you feel like the world is against you, because it does such a great job of making you smile and helps you believe that you can truly achieve anything regardless of the odds.  

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