@desertislandbookworm said:

Am trying to find movie with scene that seems referred to/spoofed/parodied in Episode 61: "Estrategia" of PARIENTES A LA FUERZA (Family By **Force**), in which two people are "trapped" in glass sided room

So far "tributes" include Midnight Cowboy, Love Story, A Star is Born, Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest, Road to Perdition, Ocean's 11, Cantinflas, Amores Perros, Shampoo, Ghost, Edward Scissorhands, 101 Dalmations, Proof of Life, Singin' in the Rain, Star Wars, Toy Story, Babe the Gallant Pig, Pretty Woman, Ugly Bety, Reina Del Sur, Dona Flor & Her Two Husbands, Black Orpheus, perhaps Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and of course, King Kong.

I haven't seen **2001: A Space Odyssey **in a long time, but that might be film I'm looking for

If I understand you correctly, I don't think 2001 is the right movie. The only trapped person in that is a lone astronaut trapped outside the space station and unable to get back in.

Thanks for your comment.

PARIENTES A LA FUERZA (Family By Force) is so rich in layers of meaning--and so fun to watch!--I hope it will find a larger audience in USA and beyond. In a way, scene that sparked my speculations reflects how a wonderful series may be "trapped" in seemingly rigid boundaries and viewer expectations or assumptions that prevent it being seen and appreciated more widely.

After mulling it over, I'm leaning more and more toward 2001: A Space Odyssey as famous film being given "the nod" in this scene. First off, it takes place in fictional Hollywood Studio in PARIENTES A LA FUERZA called ORBIT Studios.

Movies referred to in PALF are on level of household names--as reporter at start of Singin' In the Rain says of reigning movie king and queen Lockwood & Lamont: "like bacon & eggs" (coincidently that scene takes place at Graumann's Chinese Theatre which PALF's romantic couple visit in Episode 2.) Examples of such "automatic" word associations follow.

Name game: Along with movie titles, PALF "hides" names of famous film stars--mostly unusual choices for Latinx characters: KEVIN Costner, GINA Geena Davis, ANDY Garcia, GEORGE Lopez/Clooney, CAMERON Diaz, WESLEY Snipes, KURT Russell, MICHELLE Pfeiffer, PEDRO Infante, MARIO Cantinflas, Katy JURADO, Penelope CRUZ, Tom TOMMY Cruise, director Pepe TORO/Guillermo del Toro. Famous film CLEOpatra Elizabeth Taylor started acting career as child as did PALF's resident diva Clio. https://pensandoenparientes.blogspot.com/

Reader advisory: Following free association/stream of consciousness ramble does contain a few relatively minor spoilers, which I consider more "preview of coming attractions" (without knowing of these, many likely won't bother to watch series).

Visual & verbal symbols are incorporated in other classic telenovelas worth re-watching (which also happen to star same leading actor as PARIENTES A LA FUERZA: in 1998 LA MENTIRA , symbols of protagonist couple are for dazzling Veronica=the sun (whose light reveals truth) and dad-to-be Demetrio=green leaves of new life on Family Tree (from Demeter, goddess of fertility of the earth).

In original 1994 version of CAFE CON AROMA DE MUJER, blue-eyed Gaviota, nicknamed after high-flying seagull=ocean (boundless love) and "pyromaniac" Sebastian specifically says his "element is fire" (actual torch he carries is one of "hidden Mickeys" inspired phrase I mention on my blog). Is it just coincidence Colombian series was conceived around time of hit book/film COMO AGUA PARA CHOCOLATE, expression referring to emotions like boiling water?) Fire and water are combined in **Cafe **couple's favorite tipple "aguardiente" (firewater) "con cara de doble" (literally 2 faces in one) which changes to "triple" when each tries to drown their sorrows when suspecting rival in interlocking love triangles.

Back to PALF, singer Carmen, even back in her hometown pueblo of San Miguel de Allende was associated with heavenly bodies (both the decorative stars hanging over Jurado home patio, and Virgen of Guadalupe--whose medallion she always wears) whom she prays to in first episode after falling for many jerks to "give her a hand" in finding the right man; the Queen of Heaven apparently answers by sending her to rescue George from falling to his death.

Carmen also believes her late father--whose 'lucha libre" name was ARCHANGEL Jurado (shrine to him in Jurado home) also had hand in sending her George. No so coincidently, George's late mother Lupe--who sent him to take her ashes up church tower where she played as a child with altar boy Fidencio("magical realism" moment when imaginative writer sees ghost of his mother as happy child)--was named after the Virgin; George also names character in script "Para Bien or Para Mal" inspired by Carmen, written with her in mind, Lupita, whose namesake was Virgin of Guadalupe. (Inspiration literally means "breathing in", something drawn attention to throughout series in many ways).

In the City of Angels (Los Angeles, California) new lovers go sightseeing: screenwriter shows singer his star on "Hollywood Walk of Fame". Carmen is often told she is a star--and remember "a star is also a sun" around with other objects such as planets ORBIT.

Amusement rides in Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Park that happy couple are seen sitting in front of on beach include roller coaster (which provides repeated concept of series being "emotional roller coaster ride") and what's billed as "the first and only solar powered Ferris Wheel" (note many other wheel motifs in series).

Kaleidoscope is also mentioned, used as metaphor for symbolic colors that change into new patterns, rainbow swirls appearing in wall decorations, tie-dye clothing, etc. Famous scene in 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY features multi-color streaks of light.

In 2001, HAL lip-reads plans of human plotters. PALF scene in glass-sided room ends with word-less communication between screenwriter George who aggressively jerks his chin upward facing powerful studio executive Rick whom he feels wants to take his place with Carmen. (Rick seems roughly based on Tommy Mottola & Emilio Estefan, both influential execs who married Latin music superstars.) Rick in turn--once he's safely got glass wall between them--points to his own eye (vision/blindness is another recurring theme), indicating Spanish expression "Ojo", watch out.

PALF also elaborates on what may be message of 2001 A Space Odyssey: instead of fighting among one another to come out on top of the heap, with winner take all (typical goal of reality shows that PALF cleverly skewers), we should transform, come together as a family that helps each other toward a better future--subtle message in PALF about immigrants feared by others who have been in a country longer afraid of losing jobs, power, homeland.

In Episode (I think) 62, Rick tells Carmen that he won't let "ni cielo, ni mar, ni tierra, ni nadie que nos pueda separar" "(not heaven, sea, earth, or anyone separate us", to which she gives brief sad smile, having just told him she still loves George although there always seems to be barrier keeping them from being happy together. Slow jazz song playing in car with English lyrics is same one heard in (I think) Ep. 53, when George "wanders lonely as a cloud" past cycling store and looks down on roller coaster & Ferris Wheel: "Is it cold inside your heart? Is it lonely, is it dark? Have you given in to giving up--when is enough enough?"

Am so hoping there will be a sound track album for PARIENTES A LA FUERZA including all songs I can't find by searching lyrics, mix of (original?) songs in wide range of musical styles and singers, both Spanish and English.

P.S. In recent ep. Rick has just "given Carmen the world" in form of map showing places he plans for her to perform in year-long world tour ("gira", symbolic spinning again) after completion of musical movie she's making --for which George wrote screenplay based on their own "real life" love story. But I'm suspecting a curve ball will deflect that trajectory, something that's been gestating for awhile, according to hints & clues that have seem to have been dropped quietly in story for some time now.

Typically a novela may run 100 episodes, so it may be approaching final quarter around Valentine's Day, when J-Lo/Owen Wilson movie "Marry Me" is finally due to premiere after Covid-caused delays. Flick seems referred to when George proposes to Carmen in Hollywood-inspired staged setting of Episodes 2 and 3 in *PARIENTES A LA FUERZA *. Hmm, maybe I'll start posting about that in another thread elsewhere...