A Million to Juan

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A Million to Juan ★★½ 1994 (PG)

Familiar rags-to-riches tale, this time set in a L.A. barrio, centers on Juan Lopez (Rodriguez), an uneducated good guy struggling to raise his son. Juan gets his lucky break when a stranger hands him a check for $1 million, explains it's a loan, and if Juan can use the money properly for a month, he'll get a reward. Juan remains incredibly noble; the movie remains mushy. Loose adaptation of the Mark Twain story “The Million Pound Bank Note.” Directorial debut for Rodriguez. 97m/C VHS, DVD . Paul Rodriguez, Polly Draper, Pepe Serna, Bert Rosario, Jonathan Hernandez, Gerardo Mejia, Victor Rivers, Edward James Olmos, Paul Williams; Cameos: Tony Plana, Ruben Blades, Richard “Cheech” Marin, David Rasche, Liz Torres; D: Paul Rodriguez; W: Francisca Matos, Robert Grasmere.