Quinceanera

Starring: Jesus Castanos, Araceli Guzman-Rico, Emily Rios, Alicia Sixtos, Hector Quevedo, German Campos, Carlos Linares and Johnny ChavezWritten and Directed By: Richard Glatzer and Wash WestmorelandSony Pictures ClassicsRated R

The title refers to the traditional celebration of a girl becoming a woman on her 15th  birthday in Latin American culture. The film opens with the lavish celebration of a wealthy girl’s Quinceanera party and closes with another for a girl whose family is on the other end of the economic spectrum. In between the two events, we see the long journey to adulthood of the film’s central character, Magdalena. 17-year-old Emily Rios makes her feature film debut as the daughter of a morally conservative inner-city priest whose church is so small and under-funded that he also works as a security guard to support her. At the outset of the film, Magdalena is a normal teen-aged girl with all of the usual concerns that go along with that. However, when it is discovered that Magdalena is pregnant, her father throws her out of the house until she can admit to him that she has committed the sin of fornication. Insisting that she has not had sex, she is forced into adulthood as her 15th birthday approaches.

Set entirely in the prominently Latino neighborhood of Echo Park, L.A., Quinceneara is an interesting look at the culture and societal pressures of the economically oppressed living in California. Emily Rios holds the center of the frame quit well as a strong, young woman who has had adulthood thrust upon her quite unexpectedly. Her insistence that she has not had sex in spite of her pregnancy is remarkably touching. Had the filmmakers relied too heavily on Magdalena’s personal journey, the film would’ve collapsed under the weight of its full 90 minutes. Thankfully, there’s more going on here and it shows Magdalena’s journey in the larger societal context that it comes from.

Magdalena is taken-in by her great uncle Tomas, played quite compellingly by Chalo Gonzales. Gonzales is a remarkable actor who has gotten occasional film work over the past few decades whenever producers needed an older Mexican. Gonzales’ performance here shows the talent of an actor who deserves far more prominent work than that. He conveys much in silent moments that no amount of dialogue could. In joining Tomas at his place, Magdalena is also joining her cousin Carlos (Jesse Garcia). Carlos has been disowned by his parents for various reasons and lives with Thomas, helping to support him by working a car wash. Garcia puts in a complex performance, portraying the anger and hunger of oppressed youth. Carlos’ life mirrors Magdalena’s with his own journey to adulthood, as a trip to borrow an adjustable wrench finds him falling into his first sexual relationship with Tomas’ landlord Gary (David W. Ross). Gary’s relationship with Carlos makes things considerably more complicated as Gary co-owns the property with his partner James (Jason L. Wood). When the smoke clears, an eviction notice is sent to Tomas, making things significantly more difficult for Magdalena, who now has to help look for a new place for the tree of them while pregnant in addition to everything else.

What doubtlessly reads like a soap opera here is actually executed extremely well by filmmaker Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. Their first feature film together since 2001’s The Fluffer, Quinceanera is a thoughtful drama with a very organic feel to it. Filmed entirely in and around Echo Park, many of the smaller supporting roles went to locals. As a result, the film is a coming of age family drama that feels very much like a documentary in many places. VS

Russ Bickerstaff is a local poet and writer. His poems can be heard regularly at Linneman's Monday Poetry Night.