Quinceañera
Autumn 2006 Main series
Sunday, November 26, 2006 at 4:00pm
Sunday, November 26, 2006 at 7:00pm
Monday, November 27, 2006 at 7:00pm
Acadia Cinema's Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main Street, Wolfville, NS
Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland
Starring Emily Rios, Jesus Castaños-Chima, J.R. Cruz, Araceli Guzman-Rico, Chalo Gonzalez, Jesse Garcia
Rated NR ·
1h 30m
USA
English / Spanish
Winner of the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Quinceañera is a captivating tale of a teenager facing womanhood. Emily Rios gives a terrific performance as Magdalena, who wants everything to be perfect for her quinceañera — the celebration of her 15th birthday. But her preacher father (Jesus Castaños-Chima) can’t afford a new dress for her (instead, she has to wear a hand-me-down) and won’t let her ride in a Hummer limo like her cousin Maria (Araceli Guzman-Rico) did for her party. Things become even worse when she gets pregnant — even though she swears she has never had sex with her boyfriend, Herman (J.R. Cruz), or anyone else. So Magdalena runs away to live with her great-uncle Tomas (Chalo Gonzalez as a gentle, sweet old man) and her cousin Carlos (Jesse Garcia), the troubled black sheep of the family who is curiously attracted to Tio Tomas’s new gay landlords (David W. Ross and Jason L. Wood).
As Magdalena’s quinceañera approaches, so many changes — and secrets — threaten to tear her family apart. Written and directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Quinceañera, which features both English and Spanish, is set in the Latino community of Echo Park, Los Angeles. The filmmakers used many nonprofessional actors, hiring people from the neighborhood and shooting scenes in their homes and backyards, giving the movie a touchingly realistic feel. The excellent soundtrack by Micko and Victor Bock furthers the immersion of the audience into this tight-knit community.