Quinceañera (film)

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Quinceañera

Promotional poster for Quinceañera
Directed by Richard Glatzer
Wash Westmoreland
Produced by Anne Clements
Written by Richard Glatzer
Wash Westmoreland
Starring Emily Rios
Jesse Garcia
David W. Ross
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release date(s) January, 2006 (premiere at Sundance)
August 2, 2006 (US, limited)
29 September 2006 (UK)
Running time 90 min.
Language English/Spanish
IMDb profile

Quinceañera is a 2006 American independent film written and directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. It was released as Echo Park, LA in the UK. Set in Echo Park, Los Angeles, the film deals with the two young Hispanic cousins who become estranged from their families: Magdalena due to her pregnancy and Carlos due to his sexuality.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The beginning of the movie shows Magdalena performing her duties as part of her cousin Eileen's (Alicia Sixtos) quinceañera. The story covers two quinceañeras, Eileen's and later, Magdalena's. Magdalena, who is thinking of her upcoming quinceañera, her boyfriend Herman (JR Cruz), and the Hummer limo she really wants to have, soon discovers that she is pregnant after trying on her hand-me-down dress from Eileen's quinceañera. At first, her boyfriend doesn't believe her, because the sexual contact they had was without penetration. When her father, the minister in a storefront church, learns of her predicament, he doesn't believe that she is a virgin and banishes her from their home. Abandoned by her family, Magdalena moves in with her elderly great-uncle, Tomas. She and her boyfriend try do to as much as they can, but he eventually abandons her.

Also living with Tomas is Magdalena's cousin, Carlos, who works at a car wash and who has been banished by his own parents because they suspect, correctly, he is gay. Tomas' new landlords, a gay couple, invite Carlos to their housewarming party and subsequently seduce him. Carlos begins an affair with one of them; when the other discovers the affair, Tomas and his young charges are evicted from their home.

Magdalena and Carlos each try to save their little family in their own way. Magdalena tries to find them all a home, and Carlos resolves to find a better job so that he can support them while Magdalena finishes school. However, overcome with grief at losing his home, Tomas dies. This results in a reunion between Magdalena and her mother, who takes Magdalena to a doctor. The doctor confirms that Magdalena's hymen is intact, and that pregnancy without sexual intercourse is possible. Magdalena reconciles with her father at Tomas' funeral, and the film ends with Magdalena's quinceañera, with everything she dreams of.

[edit] Exhibition and responses

The film was first screened at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the 'Independent Film Competition: Dramatic' category. It was also selected to play in the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. It was then picked up for US distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.

[edit] Cast

  • Emily Rios — Magdalena
  • Jesus Castanos-Chima — Ernesto
  • Jesse Garcia — Carlos
  • Alicia Sixtos — Eileen
  • J.R. Cruz — Herman
  • Chalo Gonzalez — Tio Tomas
  • David W. Ross — Gary
  • Jason L. Wood — James

[edit] External links

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Awards
Preceded by
Forty Shades of Blue		 Sundance Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic
2006		 Succeeded by
Padre Nuestro
Languages