{ "id": "epe8qc3xv7", "slug": "la-gran-familia-espanola", "title": "La Gran Familia Española", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance", "label": "Comedy and romantic films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014", "label": "Comedies of 2013 to 2014", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014.alpha-j-to-w", "label": "Titles J to W", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014.alpha-j-to-w" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014", "label": "Western Europe · 2001 to 2020: Comedies of 2013 to 2014", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001", "label": "Western Europe · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance", "label": "Comedy and romantic films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014", "label": "Comedies of 2013 to 2014", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014" } ] } ], "excerpt": "La Gran Familia Española (Family United), 2013 Spanish comedy by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo; a wedding during the 2010 World Cup final, five biblical-named brothers, 11 Goya nominations, two wins.", "snippet": "La Gran Familia Española (Family United), 2013 Spanish comedy by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo; a wedding during the 2010 World Cup final, five biblical-named brothers, 11 Goya nominations, two wins.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2013-to-2014.alpha-j-to-w", "markdown": "# La Gran Familia Española\n\n**La Gran Familia Española** (international title: *Family United*) is a 2013 Spanish comedy written and directed by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, in which a wedding takes place on the day of the 2010 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) final in South Africa, the match in which Spain's national team won its first world title.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) • [2](https://cineuropa.org/es/film/244038/) It was the fourth feature film by Sánchez Arévalo, whose earlier films include *[Azuloscurocasinegro](https://www.edgepedia.org/azuloscurocasinegro)* (2006), *[Gordos](https://www.edgepedia.org/gordos)*, and *Primos*.[3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director and writer | Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, his fourth feature film[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) • [3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) |\n| Spanish release | 13 September 2013; 101 minutes[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) • [2](https://cineuropa.org/es/film/244038/) |\n| Setting | A wedding on 11 July 2010, the day of the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands[3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) • [4](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/criticas-espectadores/) |\n| Main cast | Antonio de la Torre (Adán), Quim Gutiérrez (Caleb), Roberto Álamo (Benjamín), Miquel Fernández (Daniel), Patrick Criado (Efraín), Verónica Echegui (Cris)[5](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/reparto/) |\n| Goya Awards 2014 | 11 nominations; 2 wins: Best Supporting Actor (Roberto Álamo) and Best Original Song (Josh Rouse)[6](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/04/de-ganar-el-goya-a-quedarse-sin-sitio-en-la-industria-el-golpe-de-realidad-de-daniel-sanchez-arevalo-tras-su-paron-cadena-ser/) |\n| Spanish box office | 2,644,389 euros[7](https://amslaurea.unibo.it/id/eprint/8864/1/Collini_Giacomo_Tesi.pdf) |\n| Production | Atípica Films, MOD Producciones, and Antena 3 Films; distributed in Spain by Warner Bros. Pictures International[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nThe film takes place on 11 July 2010, the day Spain played the Netherlands in the final of the World Cup in South Africa. Efraín, the youngest of five brothers, has chosen that day to marry his pregnant girlfriend Clara, to the frustration of his siblings, who ask how anyone could have imagined Spain would reach the final.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) • [3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) The five brothers all bear biblical names: Adán, Benjamín, Caleb, Daniel, and Efraín.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/)\n\nThe production company's synopsis frames the day as one of collective catharsis, with the country paralyzed in front of the television while the family faces what the film calls its own \"most important match.\"[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) Efraín, who has just turned 18, is described as representing a confident, winning Spain of tiki-taka, while his older brothers personify the Spain that stalls in the quarterfinals, marked by disappointments, insecurities, and fears.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/)\n\n## Cast and crew\n\nThe ensemble cast pairs the five brothers with the women around them: Verónica Echegui plays Cris, Daniel's girlfriend, and Sandra Martín plays Mónica, a childhood friend of the couple who appears to stand between them.[5](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/reparto/) • [3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) Héctor Colomé plays the father of the family.[5](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/reparto/) The supporting cast includes Arancha Martí as Carla, Sandy Gilberte, Raúl Arévalo, Pilar Castro, and Alicia Rubio.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/)\n\nBehind the camera, Juan Carlos Gómez served as director of photography, Nacho Ruiz Capillas as editor, Satur Idarreta as production designer, and Tatiana Hernández as costume designer. The American singer-songwriter Josh Rouse composed the original music.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/) • [2](https://cineuropa.org/es/film/244038/) José Antonio Félez of Atípica Films led production, with Fernando Bovaira, Mercedes Gamero, and Mikel Lejarza as co-producers.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/)\n\n## Themes and references\n\n**Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.** The film pays homage to [Stanley Donen](https://www.edgepedia.org/stanley-donen)'s 1954 musical *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers*, the film the parents of the family went to see on their first date, inspiring them to have seven children. The director includes original footage from Donen's classic, and his own film ends with Donen's closing title card.[3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) • [8](https://cvc.cervantes.es/el_rinconete/anteriores/julio_14/28072014_01.htm) The title also evokes *La gran familia* (1962), Fernando Palacios's classic comedy about a large Spanish family, though critics noted the two films have little in common beyond the name: where the earlier film was conservative, the newer one presents open family relationships.[8](https://cvc.cervantes.es/el_rinconete/anteriores/julio_14/28072014_01.htm) • [9](https://www.timeout.com/es/cine/la-gran-familia-espanyola)\n\nThe film mixes registers, drawing on genres including the western, the musical, and suspense within a predominantly comic frame, and its action unfolds in roughly real time over the duration of the final match.[3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) • [9](https://www.timeout.com/es/cine/la-gran-familia-espanyola) Reviewers compared its blend of comedy and drama to American independent filmmakers such as [Alexander Payne](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-payne) and [Wes Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/wes-anderson).[9](https://www.timeout.com/es/cine/la-gran-familia-espanyola) • [10](https://elpais.com/especiales/2014/premios-goya/la-gran-familia-espanola.html)\n\n## Reception and awards\n\nThe film led the nominations for the 2014 [Goya Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/goya-awards) with 11, and won two: Best Supporting Actor for Roberto Álamo and Best Original Song for Josh Rouse's \"Do you really want to be in love?\".[6](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/04/de-ganar-el-goya-a-quedarse-sin-sitio-en-la-industria-el-golpe-de-realidad-de-daniel-sanchez-arevalo-tras-su-paron-cadena-ser/) It was also one of three films preselected by the Spanish Film Academy to represent Spain at the Oscars, received a Premios Forqué nomination for Best Film, and earned Antonio de la Torre a Premios Unión de Actores award for Best Leading Actor.[1](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/)\n\nIn Spanish theaters it grossed 2,644,389 euros.[7](https://amslaurea.unibo.it/id/eprint/8864/1/Collini_Giacomo_Tesi.pdf) Critical response was divided. Cinemanía called it \"the great Spanish comedy of recent times\" and praised the director for not making a film merely for World Cup nostalgics.[11](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/criticas/la-gran-familia-espanola-19192/) SensaCine's own review was far cooler, calling the script saturated and the female characters schematic, while singling out Héctor Colomé for praise.[3](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/) On FilmAffinity the film holds a user rating of 5.7 from more than 31,000 votes.[12](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/reviews/1/728142.html)\n\n## Aftermath\n\nDespite the film's award recognition, Sánchez Arévalo stopped directing features afterward, later saying he needed to pause and rethink the kind of cinema he wanted to make. He returned six years later with *Diecisiete* (2019).[13](https://los40.com/los40/2019/10/21/cinetv/1571647566_854257.html) In a 2025 interview he recalled the contrast between the film's 11 Goya nominations and finding himself, five years later, being asked who he was by the industry.[6](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/04/de-ganar-el-goya-a-quedarse-sin-sitio-en-la-industria-el-golpe-de-realidad-de-daniel-sanchez-arevalo-tras-su-paron-cadena-ser/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [La gran familia española, Atípica Films](https://atipicafilms.com/produccion/la-gran-familia-espanola/)\n2. [La gran familia española, Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/es/film/244038/)\n3. [La gran familia española, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/sensacine/)\n4. [Críticas de La gran familia española, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/criticas-espectadores/)\n5. [Reparto de La gran familia española, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-209799/reparto/)\n6. [De ganar el Goya a quedarse sin sitio en la industria, Cadena SER](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/04/de-ganar-el-goya-a-quedarse-sin-sitio-en-la-industria-el-golpe-de-realidad-de-daniel-sanchez-arevalo-tras-su-paron-cadena-ser/)\n7. [Ficha técnica de la película y sinopsis, Collini, AlmaLaurea (University of Bologna thesis)](https://amslaurea.unibo.it/id/eprint/8864/1/Collini_Giacomo_Tesi.pdf)\n8. [«La gran familia española», Rinconete, Instituto Cervantes](https://cvc.cervantes.es/el_rinconete/anteriores/julio_14/28072014_01.htm)\n9. [La gran familia española, Time Out](https://www.timeout.com/es/cine/la-gran-familia-espanyola)\n10. [La gran familia española en los Premios Goya 2014, El País](https://elpais.com/especiales/2014/premios-goya/la-gran-familia-espanola.html)\n11. [La gran familia española, Cinemanía (20minutos)](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/criticas/la-gran-familia-espanola-19192/)\n12. [La gran familia española (2013), FilmAffinity](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/reviews/1/728142.html)\n13. [Daniel Sánchez Arévalo: \"Tenía la necesidad de parar y reflexionar sobre el cine que quería hacer\", LOS40](https://los40.com/los40/2019/10/21/cinetv/1571647566_854257.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2013 to 2014 › Titles J to W*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"La Gran Familia Española\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[La Gran Familia Española](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"La Gran Familia Española\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/la-gran-familia-espanola. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "La Gran Familia Española, 2013 Spanish comedy by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo; a wedding during the 2010 World Cup final, five biblical-named brothers, 11 Goya nominations, two wins." }