'Instructions Not Included' Builds American Audience

Tuesday marked the end of Hispanic Heritage month, and as of that day “Instructions Not Included,” the Spanish-language film starring, written, and directed by Eugenio Derbez, has grossed almost $43 million, making history at the U.S. box office. The movie (released as “No Se Aceptan Devoluciones” in Spanish-speaking countries) is a comedy-drama about an Acapulco playboy turned devoted father, and it is currently the top-grossing Spanish-language film released in North America, edging out “Pan’s Labyrinth.”

Derbez conceived of the movie more than a decade ago after seeing the Italian comedy-drama “Life Is Beautiful,” and set out to create his own heartwarming story of a father and child. The movie’s production consumed 12 years and $5.5 million (more than twice the normal budget of a Mexican film), not to mention Derbez’s own versatile talent as a director and actor. During that same time he continued to develop his following through the television series “XHDRBZ” and “La Familia P. Luche” in Mexico as well as recent collaborations with Adam Sandler (in 2011’s “Jack and Jill”) and Rob Schneider (in his sitcom “Rob”).

The movie has a broad appeal, with salacious humor for the teenagers, messy tangles of love for the adults, and slapstick for kids. This amounts to a movie that’s fun for the whole family. In a recent article from NBC Latino, Roberto Orci, the Mexican-American film/TV writer (2009’s “Star Trek,” “Sleepy Hollow”) and CEO of Acento Advertising, describes how Latinos tend to account for a disproportionately large percentage of ticket sales: “We’re exposed to the marketing and our culture is very family-oriented, which makes activities like eating out and going to the movies very typical.”

That said, the idle spectator might still find this film incongruent with its peer group of high-grossing foreign flicks, which includes “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Amélie” (2001). What this movie lacks in “wuxia”-style action or visually-rich, imaginative storytelling, it replaces with telenovela-style plot inversions and a generous dose of physical comedy.

Even though the movie appears goofy and straightforward, it has many relevant messages about bilingualism and biculturalism. Derbez’s language games tend to jump off the screen and make viewers cognizant of those on either side of the armrest; when Valentín points out that his daughter Maggie seems to be named after a salsa, those familiar with the brand laugh, but those who aren’t may feel too young or uncultured to get the reference.

These realities, combined with Derbez’s star power, account for most ingredients of the winning recipe. In a 2006 New York Times article, Anthony Kaufman discusses some of the challenges of entering the domestic market from abroad, including the fact that talented foreign directors quickly transition “to films that rely on American stars and are made for American tastes.” With Latinos currently accounting for 1 in 4 ticket sales in the U.S., and with that number rising, to continue distinguishing between “American taste”and the “Latino sensibility” might soon be counterproductive.

Sometimes a movie will come along and surprise with its success—demanding attention and a reevaluation of what makes a hit film. Instructions not included; returns not accepted.