| Born in East L.A. | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Cheech Marin |
| Produced by | Stan Coleman Peter MacGregor Scott |
| Written by | Cheech Marin |
| Starring | Cheech Marin Daniel Stern Paul Rodriguez |
| Music by | Lee Holdridge |
| Cinematography | Alex Phillips Jr. |
| Editing by | Don Brochu Stephen Lovejoy David Newhouse Mike Sheridan |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 21, 1987 |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $17,355,263 (US)[1] |
Born in East L.A. is a 1987 American comedy film written and directed by Cheech Marin of the Cheech & Chong comedy team.
The film is about an American (born in East Los Angeles) of Chicano descent whom authorities deport to Tijuana. It is based on a novelty parody song (1984) of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.".
The parody song was written by Marin and released on the 1985 Cheech & Chong album Get Out of My Room. The song was made into a music video the same year. It became a hit, so Marin decided to use the song as the source material for his first solo film. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures, which later released it on VHS and DVD.
Contents |
Rudy Robles (Marin) is at home in East Los Angeles being told by his mother to pick up his cousin Javier (Paul Rodriguez) in Downtown Los Angeles at a factory before his mother and sister leave for Fresno. Rudy arrives only a few minutes before the factory is raided by la migra (immigration officials).
Rudy is wrongfully accused of being an illegal alien by a crooked immigration officer in a cowboy hat and sunglasses, with a Texas accent. Because he does not have any form of identification, and because his mother is out of town and cannot verify that he is a citizen, Rudy is deported to Mexico.
Paradoxically, Rudy cannot speak or understand more than pidgin Spanglish (though he's fluent in German as a result of several years' military service enlisted in the US Army based in Germany - USAREUR).
While in Tijuana, Mexico, he befriends ex-con Jimmy (Daniel Stern) and a waitress named Dolores (Kamala Lopez-Dawson). Rudy, with no I.D. and unable to get in contact with his mother, makes numerous failed attempts to cross the border.
Jimmy then offers to get him back to Los Angeles for money. Not having his wallet (and therefore no money), he works for Jimmy as doorman at a strip bar while also taking other small jobs like selling oranges and teaching two Central American Native men and three other "Chinese" immigrants, to walk and talk like East Los Angeles natives. They become known as the "Waas Sappening Boys" or "What's Happening Boys". He makes many friends along the way to get back to Los Angeles.
As he becomes better friends with Jimmy and starts falling in love with Dolores, Rudy finally raises the money needed to be sneaked across the border. First, he goes on a date with Dolores. The next day, Rudy gives a farewell to Jimmy, receives a last kiss goodbye from Dolores and gets into the back of the Coyote's truck. He notices the Coyote arguing with a woman pleading to be taken to the United States for free because her husband is already in the truck and the rest of their family is in the United States. The Coyote won't do it for free so Rudy gets out and gives the woman his place.
Not about to waste more time in Mexico, Rudy stands for the last time on the hill of the Mexico – United States border while two Immigration Officers sit in their truck watching in laughter. The song "America" by Neil Diamond starts playing as hundreds and hundreds of people appear from Rudy's side and all charge the fields to reach the American Dream. The two Immigration Officers are no match and hide in their truck. All the while, Rudy, Dolores, and their five friends casually walk in slow motion with their heads up high to America.
Things take a turn for the worse when Rudy and Dolores are kidnapped by Coyotes and held for ransom, coincidentally, across the street from Rudy's home. He calls his cousin Javier from across the street to bring him his wallet, which he does to pay off the kidnappers. Then la migra storm in, headed by the man in the sunglasses and cowboy hat who had deported Rudy in the beginning.
Rudy shows his identification this time to the man, who says he's going to send Dolores back to El Salvador. Rudy and Dolores make a dash and escape during the East Los Angeles Cinco de Mayo parade. Not knowing where to turn, Rudy and Dolores hop onto the float with the priest; Rudy asks if he can marry them. Rudy and Dolores both look at each other in happiness as they are wed.
The immigration officer in the cowboy hat arrives to place Dolores under arrest. Rudy then explains that they've just been married, making Dolores a naturalized U.S. citizen. The crowd, witnessing everything, cheers.
At the end as the titles roll, the song version of "Born in East L.A." resounds.
Film critic Richard Harrington of The Washington Post wrote:
The filming is often flat, as is much of the acting. In fact, the short musical video of "Born in East L.A." is far superior to the film.[2]
Caryn James, film critic for The New York Times, wrote:
Born in East L.A. is enormously good-natured—exactly the wrong tone for a comedy that needs all the rambunctious lunacy it can get. Instead, this story of an American mistakenly deported to Mexico as an illegal alien is amiable and plodding, the very last things you'd expect from Cheech, with or without Chong.[3]
Wins