Y Tu Mama Tambien Essay Questions

What political critiques does Cuarón make about Mexico, and how does he reveal these perspectives?

The most dominant critique Cuarón has about Mexico concerns its failure to function as a strong democracy in the early 2000s. Cuarón focuses his critique on class disparity, juxtaposing the experiences of the privileged with those of the marginalized throughout. The omniscient narrator in the film serves as a conduit for this economic critique. While the focus of the action is usually on the central characters, all of whom are economically stable, the narrator turns our attention towards that which is happening in the margins, such as the death of a construction worker in Mexico City, the biography of an old woman in a depressed village, the biography of Tenoch's nanny, the fate of Chuy and his family. By inserting these details about the political realities and economic disparities in Mexico, Cuaron locates his narrative in a political position.

Why don't Tenoch and Julio speak to each other after the trip?

Cuaron leaves the nature of the dissolution of Julio and Tenoch's friendship somewhat ambiguous, and does not address exactly why they cannot salvage the relationship they once had. It seems to be the result of a number of things. In the revelation of their affairs with one another's girlfriends, the boys become exceedingly angry with one another, wounded by their mutual betrayal of trust. The "Charolastra" ethic binding them together is dissolved by this betrayal, and in the heat of the moment, they each launch aggressively classed insults at one another; Tenoch calls the middle-class Julio a "hillbilly," and Julio calls Tenoch a "yuppie."

While on the last night it seems as though they will be able to salvage their friendship, it is further complicated by the fact that they engage sexually in their threesome with Luisa. The last moment of their sexual experience with Luisa that we see is a passionate kiss. The next morning, they feel awkward about their intimate moment, and they can never quite salvage the performatively masculine bond they once had.

Why does Luisa go on the road trip?

While she never explicitly states why she chooses to go on the road trip, we can guess a few of her reasons. For one, she impulsively decides to take Tenoch and Julio up on their offer immediately after learning that her husband, Jano, who seems to have a drinking problem, has had an affair. Resentful of his philandering, she decides to take matters into her own hands and hit the road. She is sexually intrigued by the attention of the young men, and knows that she will be better appreciated by them than she was by Jano. Additionally, as we learn at the end of the film, she is coming to terms with a recent terminal diagnosis, and knows that she does not have long to live. The trip provides her with a way to spend her final days appreciating the beauty of Mexico and living life to the fullest. She relishes the pleasures of life—food, drink, children, sex, and nature.

To what extent is this movie a simple coming-of-age or road movie?

Although many audiences remember this film as a typical coming-of-age film, looking deeper reveals that the film is concerned with a number of rather mature subjects in addition to the lighter comic rhythms of the traditional "coming-of-age." The presence of the omniscient voiceover lends the film a consciousness that exceeds the subjectivities of the characters and leads the audience to consider the political and socioeconomic context for the drama.

Thus, the film has a liminal genre identity, which is part of what has brought it so much acclaim and attention over the years. One moment, the scenarios are comic and outlandish, the awkward result of teenage horniness and playful boyishness. In the next, the stakes are much higher, as we see Luisa's marriage fall apart and learn about her diagnosis. The ebb and flow of the drama mirrors the multifariousness of life, and lends the film a quality of realism that is not often felt in the typical road trip adventure film.

What is the film's perspective on sexuality?

The film has many different perspectives on sexuality. For much of the film, we see sex from within the world of a teenager who is discovering it for the first time. The film opens with Tenoch and Julio each having sex with their girlfriends. They are tentative and tender, and the innocence of their sexuality strikes an almost comic note. We then see the two boys masturbating alongside one another at a pool, shouting out fantasies to share while they pleasure themselves.

When they embark on their road trip with the older Luisa, the immaturity of the boy's sexualities comes into starker contrast. When she seduces each of them, we see just how inexperienced they are. As each of them ejaculates prematurely, barely a minute into intercourse, we see Luisa laugh with a kind of exasperated tenderness, disappointed but not un-empathetic to their adolescent plight. In these moments, we see sex as if from an older woman's perspective. Luisa is desperate for the pleasure and catharsis of sex, but finds herself in the absurd and almost maternal position of teaching the young boys how to give this to her.