Selena (1997) is an American biographical film about the life and career of the late Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a Grammy Award-winning recording artist who was well known in the Mexican-American and Latino communities in the United States and Mexico before her untimely death at the age of 23.
Music industry executives believed Selena was ready to cross-over into mainstream popularity on the American pop charts when she was murdered on March 31, 1995 by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club and friend.
The film is directed by Gregory Nava and stars Jennifer Lopez as Selena, in the breakthrough role of her career. Her father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., is played by Edward James Olmos and Constance Marie plays Marcela Quintanilla.[1]
The executive producer is Abraham Quintanilla Jr., and the film is noted for being the fastest produced biopic about an entertainer after that person's death.[citation needed]
Plot
The movie opens with the grown Selena (Jennifer Lopez) preparing for what would ultimately be her last concert in the Houston Astrodome. Standing in front of what one reporter notes is the largest crowd in the Astrodome's history, she belts out a medley of disco hits to thunderous cheers. The movie then flashes back to 1961, when a young Abraham Quintanilla struggles to find success with his band, "The Dinos." They are turned out of a whites-only club because they are Mexican and are booed out of a Mexican club for singing only in English. Jumping forward to 1981, Abraham (played as an older man by Edward James Olmos) is now married with three children. Having never lost his desire to join the music industry, he finds new opportunity to start a band when he hears nine-year-old Selena's (Rebecca Lee Meza) voice. Selena gives her first performance at her father's new restaurant called "Papa Gayo's", where she performs "Over the Rainbow." When the family goes bankrupt, they lose the restaurant and move in with Abraham's brother in Corpus Christi, Texas.
For the first several years of performing, "Selena y Los Dinos" stumble from one rocky disappointment to another, brought on by the fact that the Tejano music scene is dominated by men, not to mention initial protests from Marcella (Constance Marie), Selena's mother who wanted a simple life for her children. In 1989, When 18-year-old Selena begins incorporating trendy dance moves and more provocative wardrobe into her routines, she quickly catches public attention, much to her overprotective father's chagrin, when she shows her sparkling bra she calls a "bustier."
With their popularity rising, the band welcomes a new guitarist with a harder edge. Chris Perez (Jon Seda) and Selena have an immediate attraction, but it is one that they must keep hidden from Abraham.
Selena (Lopez) signs autographs at a Los Angeles mall.
When she is older and performing in Monterrey, Mexico Selena gives an interview to a television reporter. Due to his experiences in the early 1960s Abraham explains to his daughter that she is expected to speak in perfect Spanish on-air, otherwise, Mexicans will not fully accept her as a performing artist.
Selena, however, has confidence and tells her father she "can do it." She charms the reporters by warmly greeting them individually. At the press conference, Selena struggles with her Spanish. When she wants to say to the reporter that her experience in Mexico has been very "exciting" she instead says "excited" in English, prompting laughs from the reporters. Yet, while no harm is done, Abraham's frustration is captured when he says: "We have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans, both at the same time! It's exhausting!"
The major conflict of the film arises from Abraham's objection to Selena and Chris's love relationship, fearing that Chris's wild lifestyle will tarnish Selena's reputation and break the strong connection between the family, when Abraham catches Selena and Chris hugging on the bus. This is all quickly resolved, however, when Selena and Chris get married, forcing Abraham to accept his daughter's marriage.
Selena opens her boutique business "Selena Etc." and credits her husband and Yolanda, her fan club manager (who would later be her murderer), for helping her.
Although she was known in the American Latino community, not many in mainstream society knew of her and this is seen when she and her friend shop at a Los Angeles mall for a dress. As Selena and her friend look for a dress they are ignored by the Anglo sales clerk while at the same time Latino workers nearby recognize her and she draws a huge crowd. Selena is thrilled and gladly signs autographs for her fans. The saleswoman, however, who seemingly snubbed Selena earlier, is dumbstruck at the attention Selena receives.
Selena wins a Grammy for her album "Selena Live" and does her first fashion show and records her English album, which is in the scene at the recording studio where Selena sings "I Could Fall in Love".
The family later realizes that Yolanda is stealing money from the fan club. Selena is told by Abraham and is very upset and decides to confront Yolanda.
The film briefly deals with her murder, which is shown in a flashback scene when a white rose is thrown onto the stage while she sings, "Dreaming of You" and by a closeup of Selena's lifeless hand dropping a ring that Yolanda had given her.
The film concludes with Selena's fans holding pictures of her and candlelight vigils for her honor. Then the film shows footage of the real Selena at her real live concerts. The audience then sees a picture of Selena that says "Selena Quintanilla Pérez 1971-1995."
Background
Jennifer Lopez and Jon Seda as Selena and Chris Perez respectively.
Selena was produced with the participation of the Quintanilla family, and her father Abraham is the executive producer of the film. One scene features Chris Perez playing the guitar for the family using closeup footage of his hands and the shot was filmed specifically for the movie.[2]
Some of Selena's recordings were used on the soundtrack (see soundtrack below).
In a noted stadium scene, where Selena once performed, the producers used approximately 35,000 extras, and is arguably the film's centerpiece. Filming took place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, rather than the actual concert location: the Astrodome in Houston.[3]
Controversy
During pre-production, Mexican-American activists were highly critical that Jennifer Lopez, a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents, was selected to play Selena. They preferred an actress with Mexican roots. However, after seeing Lopez's portrayal of Selena, they revised their opinions and were more accepting of Nava's decision.[4]
Cast
Critical reception
Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, was impressed by the acting, and wrote, "Young Selena is played by Becky Lee Meza, who has a big smile and a lot of energy. The teenage and adult Selena is played by Lopez in a star-making performance. After her strong work as the passionate lover of Jack Nicholson in the current Blood and Wine, here she creates a completely different performance, as a loyal Quintanilla who does most of her growing up on a tour bus with her dad at the wheel."[5]
Film critic Lisa Kropiewnicki liked the film and wrote, "Jennifer Lopez delivers a breakout performance...[and] Nava's engaging script wisely mines his subject's life for humor and conflict, embracing Selena Quintanilla's passion for music."[6]
Film critic James Berardinelli also liked the film and the screenplay, writing, "It would have been easy to trivialize Selena's story, turning it into a sudsy, made-for-TV type motion picture." He believed the acting was top notch and wrote "Jennifer Lopez is radiant as the title character, conveying the boundless energy and enthusiasm that exemplified Selena, while effectively copying not only her look, but her mannerisms. I wonder if Selena's family, upon watching this performance, felt an eerie sense of déjà vu."[7]
Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan gave the film a mixed review. He wrote the film is part of a "completely predictable Latino soap opera." Yet, "there are chunks of Selena that only a stone could resist. This movie turns out to be a celebration not only of the singer but also (as "What's Love" was for Angela Bassett) of the actress who plays her, Jennifer Lopez."[8]
Some film critics, however, did not like how the film appears like a sanitized Selena portrait. Critic Walter Addiego considers Nava's work a worshipful biography of her. Addiego, writing for the San Francisco Examiner, did have a few enjoyable moments viewing the film but wrote, "You can't help cheering for Selena, but the good feeling is diminished by the sense that her story's been simplified and sanitized."[9]
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 78% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 25 reviews.[10] The review aggregator metacritic also reported that 66% of critics gave the film a good positive review.
Distribution
The film opened in wide release on March 21, 1997 (1,850 theaters) and sales the opening weekend were $11,615,722. Selena ran for 15 weeks domestically (101 days) and eventually grossed $35,422,828 in the United States. The film sales worldwide were considerably more. At its widest release the film was shown in 1,873 screens. The production budget of the film was approximately $20,000,000.[11][12]
A 10th Anniversary DVD edition of Selena was released on September 29, 2007 by Warner Home Video. The two-disk set contains the original theatrical (127 minutes) and a director's cut (134 minutes) of the film. Extras include a Making of Selena: 10 Years Later featurette, a Queen of Tejano featurette, and nine additional scenes.[13]
Soundtrack
An original motion picture Selena soundtrack was released by EMI Latin Records on March 11, 1997. The CD contains twelve tracks including Selena singing songs heard in the film. The only songs performed by Selena that were not heard on the film was "Is it the Beat", "Only Love", and "A Boy Like That", and the Selena tributes sung by other artists. The only recordings by Selena heard on the film was the "Cumbia Medley", "Disco Medley", and "Where Did the Feeling Go?", which was played in the last half of the closing credits of the film. The Vidal Brothers' "Oldies Medley" was also on the film.
Included are rare tracks, hits, and cuts like the "Disco Medley, Part II", recorded live during Selena's 1995 concert at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Not all the songs are performed by Selena.[14]
Awards
Nominations
Notes
- ^ Selena at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Selena LIVE: The Last Concert, "All Access: Behind the Scenes", movie featurette.
- ^ Béhar, Henri. Film Scouts, interview with Gregory Nava.
- ^ Guzman, Isabel Molina and Angharad N. Valdivia. "Brain, Brow, and Booty: Latina Iconicity in U.S. Popular Culture", Routledge: Volume 7, Number 2 / April–June 2004.
- ^ Ebert, Roger. The Chicago Sun-Times, film review, March 21, 1997. Last accessed: January 9, 2008.
- ^ Kropiewnicki, Lisa. Selena at Allmovie, film review. Last accessed: January 9, 2008.
- ^ Berardinelli, James. Reel Views, film review, 1997. Last accessed: January 9, 2008.
- ^ Turan, Kenneth. Los Angeles Times, "In the Authorized Selena, She's Seen in the Best Light", Calendar Section, March 21, 1997. Last accessed: January 9, 2008.
- ^ Addiego, Walter. San Francisco Examiner, film review, page C, March 21, 1997.
- ^ Selena at Rotten Tomatoes. Last accessed: February 24, 2008.
- ^ The Numbers box office data. Last accessed: January 9, 2008.
- ^ Box Office Mojo box office data. Last accessed: January 9, 2008.
- ^ "10th Anniversary edition of Selena" at DVD Active.
- ^ Amazon.com web site.
External links
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