As Magdalena's (Emily Rios) 15th birthday approaches, her working class family prepares for the all-important Quinceanera - a lavish coming-of-age celebration. To help with expenses, Magdalena is forced to wear a hand-me-down party dress and abandon her dream of arriving in a Hummer limousine. But when her father discovers she's pregnant and refuses to believe the incredible truth - she's actually still a virgin - Magdalena moves in with her elderly Uncle Tomas (Chalo Gonzalez) and black sheep cousin Carlos (Jesse Garcia).
Her newfound family is soon put to the test, however, when an unexpected crisis threatens to tear them apart, and Magdalena learns what it truly means to come of age.
The interactions of these unlikely family members ring completely true, with stellar performances by Dios as well as Chalo Gonzalez as her warm Tio Tomas and Jesse Garcia as the smoldering Carlos. The portrayal of life in Echo Park is intimate and effortless, as the teens slide interchangeably between Spanish and English; crime and gang activities coexist with trendy gay couples and their fashionable remodels. And in the heart of it all, the family ties among the three lead characters prove unconventional--and unbreakable. -- A.T. Hurley
Media Type | Movie |
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Recommended Age | 15 and up |
Actors | Jesus Castanos, Araceli Guzman-Rico, Emily Rios, J.R. Cruz, Listette Avila |
Director | Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland |
Running Time | 91 minutes |
Studio | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |
Release Date | Jan 9, 2007 |
Language | English |