Teen Poignancy
by Sandie Angulo Chen
Quinceanera
What It's About
Similar to the bat mitzvah and "sweet 16," the quinceañera is a celebratory passage into womanhood for Latina girls. A few weeks after celebrating her cousin's blinged-out quinces -- complete with a Hummer limo and DJ'd reception -- 14-year-old Magdalena (Emily Rios) discovers she's with child, even though she's technically still a virgin. When her evangelical father throws her out, Magdalena moves in with her octogenarian great-uncle (Chalo Gonzalez) and her tough-talking gay cousin (Jesse Garcia). Together, the relatives create a tight-knit trio of outcasts.
Why You Should See It Part coming-of-age story, part ode to the vibrant churros-and-tamales neighborhood of L.A.'s Echo Park, 'Quinceañera' is a juicy slice of telenovela drama served up for indie lovers. Starring charming teen Emily Rios as the pregnant protagonist and up-and-coming hottie Jesse Garcia as her macho-gay cousin, this rainbow-colored drama provides a touching look at what it means to grow up "different" in a traditional community. And who ever thought there could be a Latino-AND-gay-friendly film that would appeal to moviegoers in the Castro AND in Little Havana?
Que bien.
Budget $400,000
Production Note Co-directors and real-life partners Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer actually live in the increasingly gentrified Echo Park, and many of their neighbors and friends, including their cleaning lady and her family, are in the film. The directors relied on the surrounding Latino community's support, and as they explain in their director's statement: "People let us into their homes … lent us quinceañera dresses, cooked food for us … and let us know when we were right on target, and more importantly, when we were not."
Breakout Star At 81, it must be nearly impossible to score a starring role, but as the saintly great-uncle Tomas, Chalo Gonzalez proves you're never too old to be discovered. Well, rediscovered -- the Chicano actor was a friend and frequent supporting player in the films of Sam Peckinpah. Gonzalez is the soul of the drama -- he makes Tomas' unconditional love for a gay grandnephew and pregnant grandniece completely evident with the touch of a hand or nod of the head.
Festival Buzz Sure, 'Little Miss Sunshine' may have snagged a record deal at 2006's Sundance Film Festival, but it was crowd-pleaser 'Quinceañera' that won both the prestigious Grand Jury prize and the Audience Award for feature film. 'Quinceañera' was also selected as the Centerpiece Premiere at this summer's Los Angeles Film Festival.
