© 2006 by C. E. Murphy. All Rights Reserved.
Quinceañera
L to R : Jesse Garcia as Carlos
and Emily Rios as Magdalena in
Quinceañera, Richard Glatzer
and Wash Westmoreland, USA,
2006; 90 min.

   Normally when a film wins a prize at the Sundance Film Festival, I
tend to approach it sceptically. My feeling is that the altitude in the Utah
mountains sometimes affects people's decision making. This year, for the
first time ever, the festival's awards lined up with the audience prizes.
After seeing Quinceañera, I have to say I not only understand why it
was so acclaimed, I want to add my own praises to it.

   The film, written and directed by the team of Wash Westmoreland
and Richard Glatzer (who collaborated on the uneven The Fluffer)         
have crafted a beautifully moving tale. Magdalena (the terrific Emily Rios)
is a fourteen-year-old daughter of a Mexican preacher. Living in the Echo
Park section of Los Angeles, she and her family are planning her
quinceañera, a celebration of her entry into womanhood when she turns
15. But complications ensue when despite her protestations that she is
a virgin, she discovers that she is pregnant. (There's actually a plausible
explanation for her condition.) Disowned by her religious father, Magdalena
moves in with her aged great uncle Tomas (the marvelous Chalo Gonzalez)
who has already taken in one of Magdalena's cousins, Carlos (Jesse
Garcia), a wannabe gangsta type who happens to be gay.

    It turns out that Tomas lives on property that has been bought by
a wealthy gay couple (David W. Ross and Jason L. Wood) and a situation
arises where the couple decides to evict the trio.

    The film marks a giant leap for Westmoreland and Glatzer in tone and
style. As with The Fluffer, they have cast a mix of established actors and
newcomers, but in the case of Quinceañera the novice performers are
real finds. This is one of the year's best movies and one of the best at
"New Directors/New Films."

                     Rating:                A -