Description

Three-generational epic saga of the Sanchez family as told by the eldest son. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

great acting and a great cast.
My Family chronicles the Sanchez family over three generations. From the parents migration from Mexico to East LA. The movie shows the struggle of the Immigrants to survive in America with the lack of education, but a determination to improve their lives in America. The family is split by the cynical views of the rebel sons Chucho(Esai Morales) and Jimmy(Jimmy Smits) and the political views of the NUN(eventually marries) sister and her also political (former priest) husband, and the educated lawyer brother, who is engaged to the white girl from UCLA and is slightly embarrassed when his future in-laws visit EAST LA. All the time the Sanchez family is struggling with their lives Jose and Maria try to keep the family together. The movie trys to show the diversity that can occur in the lives of this mexican/american family and the culture associated with a typical family of that ERA it illustrates some of the hostile feelings felt by this familiy of their perceived prujudices against them by the establishment. The characters all go thru some transformations as they mature. James Olmos as the oldest son Paco and his narration is the movie. Esai Morales and Jimmy Smits turn in some brilliant performances, and my wife swoons at every scene with them both. They have mastered the 50'S/60'S Pachucos roles. The allstar cast of LA Latin Actors Enrique Castillo, Morales , Olmos are excellent as always and aptly supported by Mary Steenburgen and Scott Baculla as well as the other latino actors Lupe Ontiveros Jennifer Lopez and others. If you are of thAt ERA and ethinic background this movie is a must. Its a great family movie and just as awakening as AMERICAN ME AND ZOOT SUIT. In closing, being of that 50's era and my Mexican background I especially enjoyed the generous portions of the slang and music references throuhout the movie to recreate the way it was back then, and referencing an actual artist Rosie and the originals (Jeanette Jurado of Expose) was genius on the part of the director/Author Mr. Nava. Addios Vince Guillen from Burque.

Powerful Movie
I first saw this movie in 1995 when it was first released in theaters. Nine years later, the movie still has the same effect as it did when I first saw it. Although my experiences and my family's experiences are not identical to the ones experienced by the Sanchez family, there are similarities, and I'm sure many other Mexican-Americans can identify with the small things that make this movie so good.

What makes this movie so good is that the director, Gregory Nava, captures the nuances that many Mexican-Americans can relate to. 'Crossing the Bridges,' as Edward James Olmos explains, is something that the patriarch of the family must do when he goes to work on the other side of downtown LA. What's so strange is that many people continue to cross those bridges every day of their lives (literally and figuratively).

Little things like this as well as Chucho's pride in having the best creased pants, the mother's passion for her 'novelas,' and Jimmy Smits' hard personality really give this movie a feeling of familiarity. I also like the fact that Memo goes to UCLA.

The casting is good, and it's weird to see Jennifer Lopez in small roles like this before her rise to stardom. While the movie may not identically reflect the experiences of every Mexican-American, it will be hard not to see some parallels.

My Family
One of the best movies I have ever seen!

my family
best mexican american story line of the struggle most mexican families live. Good story line and very good actors.

Nice epic look at one family and their trials
Jimmy SMits really nails this role. He does such a great job it was kind of surprising that his film career never really got off the ground. He's just meant for television, I suppose. But you'd never know it from this film! Excellent storyline, plot, characters. ... Read more

Reviews (166)

More Tribute Than Biopic
Jennifer Lopez does a great job of portraying the lovely Selena, even though the only resemblance that Jennifer and Selena have is due to race, not feature. However, this movie isn't about Selena-the-human-being or even Selena-the-star. This the sanitized, Disney view of the life of a young, fast-rising star whose life was cut short in her prime. Now, I'm not saying that this is a rotten movie at all. It's actually a good movie. It's well written, well-acted, and you can't tell that Ms. Lopez is lip-synching. However, you're not going to get a clear picture of Selena-the-person from this movie. I love Selena as much as the next Selena fan, but I would have liked to see a movie named Selena that's actually about Selena, not just what her dad thinks is appropriate. Playing down her murder was not good, because how is someone going to get a clear picture of the mourning that went on all over the United States when they don't see all the things that came out after? How does one get a picture of Yolanda the Fruitcake if they don't see how fruity the woman is? We know what we lost. It would be nice if this movie at least showed us the why. Selena's memory would not have been damaged if this had been in the movie. Like I said, I like this movie as just a movie, but as a biography it falls short.

Lopez at her very best!!!!!!!
I actually didn't see this film until about 6 months ago when it was on tv late one Sunday night. After watching it i was very impressed and went out straightaway the nexy day and purchased a copy on dvd for myself. Jennifer does an outstanding job portraying Selena, so good in fact that whilst i'm watching it i actually forget it's JLO and think it's the real Selena! She perfected Selena's dance moves right down to a T. The Astrodome recreation is perfect and very close to the real thing. I like the film because every scene builds on from the previous one. Every stage of Selena'a life is documented including her most triumphunt moments such as when she won the Grammy, when "Como La Flor" went to number 1 etc. I highly recommend this film to any Selena fans out there- go out and buy yourself a copy right now, you won't be disappointed!!!

Selena
The movie really touched me. Today I'm 26 years old and I didn't know Selena until I watched the movie. Pray for us Selena from up high in Heaven. Selena I think you know what I mean.

Portrait of a superstar
Many know that Selena is my all-time favorite performer and this film is a beautiful (thought not thoroughly accurate) tribute of the slain Grammy-winning Tejano Queen. I don't usually enjoy Jennifer Lopez performances - acting OR vocal - but this being her first breakthrough role she does quite well; this 1997 film came out before her diva-esque image took over and she became a glitzy woman who won't tip bellhops after carrying up some 20-something bags.

the angel selena
this movie makes me sad! selana was a beautiful singer just becoming popular when i was in junior high then she was tragically killed and her star burned out as fast as it came the movie shows the hardwork of her life growing up traveling and singing with her family only to finally hit it big find love marriage and soon a baby but sadly she was killed by a lunatic obsessed fan jennifer lopezs best acting job by far is in this movie she becomes selena from her gorgeous smile to her funny infantile manner and beautiful voice this movie shows u who selena was an angel ... Read more

Description

Music-based romantic drama about the late singer/songwriter Frankie Lymon, who was responsible for many hit records but whose self-destructive life ended early, with many relationships left unresolved. three women, each claiming to be his wife, each with ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Entertaining delight!
The filmmakers know you've heard this tale before - true life chronicle of a young singing star's rise and tragic fall - and so they wisely downplay the standard bio trappings and instead focus on a raucously entertaining ride through Frankie Lymon's woman troubles. The smart screenplay revolves around the court battle of Lymon's three wives (yes, three!) over song royalties, leading to vivid (and often humorously contradictory) flashbacks of their lives with the singer. Larenz Tate is magnetic playing the many different sides of the ever-changing lead character, but the film ultimately belongs to Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox and Lela Rochon as the wives. Each is allowed to shine as the trio portrays 30 years of changes in the women's lives, with Fox drop-dead hilarious as the most outrageous of the three. There's beautifully detailed '60s-era cinematography, sets, costuming and musical numbers, plus a side-splitting turn by Miguel Nunez as a young Little Richard. Major issues (such as '60s race relations) are barely glanced at, but what this film lacks in depth, it makes up for ten-fold in entertainment value. A winner!

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I may be in the minority, because...
I really didn't care for this movie very much. It told you virtually nothing about young Frankie Lymon's career with the Teenagers, and the focus was on his three wives fighting over whom was most entitled to the small fortune he left behind when he died at age 26 of a heroin overdose in 1968. Instead of a true biography of this young man's tragic story, we got this.

"Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" never really gives you the reason why Lymon (played by the talented actor Larenz Tate) was so very important in the history of R&B/rock and roll. Ignoring the fact that he was the first teenaged idol of rock and roll (like the little Michael Jackson of his era) and was an influence on other groups that would come after his, in this film Frankie was overwhelmingly portrayed as nothing more than some '50s rock music has-been who was a bigamist and a drug addict. On top of that, the three actresses who played his wives (Halle Berry, Lela Rochon, Vivica A. Fox) got more screen time than Larenz Tate did, and was billed over him. Excuse me, but wasn't this film supposed to be Frankie's story? I was not interested in seeing a movie about his wives.

Tate did his best, and I had no problem with the rest of the cast...but the script was just not worthy of his talents. I gave it three stars for the musical performances, but I feel the definitive movie about Frankie's life has yet to be made.

Love is Blind and So Are the Women!
The title fits the movie's subject because these women were foolish to falll in love with him. Despite his early career in music and rise to fame, he was on a path to destruction, which he could have controlled. Frankie Lymon, lead singer for the group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, had the voice that made girls across America scream. But watching the movie, he was also selfish because he used his own members, who were also his friends to pursue a solo career; which was never achieved. He married Zora Taylor, a member of The Platters, Elizabeth Waters, and Emira Eagle; none of whom he divorced.
The movie got me to wonder if any of these women could see below the surface of this man. Why did they allow him to descend into drugs and self-loathing? If one really loves someone, they would either help them through or send them packing. It was obvious that he had them on a string. All three of them had to go to court to prove they were legally married to him and collect money from his estate. Unfortunately, the music industry wasn't as legally together as it is now. Therefore, any claim to what he sang is out of their reach.
Lymon's music still lives on as a reminder of the "good old days" when music wasn't sexually explicit and musicians could actually sing.

Frankie Lymon for Beginners
I never knew much about Frankie Lymon until I watched this movie. He was one of my father's favorites. This movie, while it did not cover everything and sometimes it was historically inaccurate, it gave a good review of Frankie's rise and fall as a doo-wop star. The acting by Halle Berry, Lorenz Tate, Vivica Fox, and Leah Rochon was superb!

Fools in Love-Great Acting
Didn't know much about Frankie, except that he was a bigamist. The acting is great! It is worth having in your library. ... Read more

Description

EMI Latin presents Selena: Greatest Hits. All audio tracks have been remastered and the videos have been restored to their original quality. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It's Great!
Selena is great! This DVD is great! What more can I say? It is a great find for any Selena fan.

For Selena's fans
It seems to me that Selena's family is still reproducing the same material again and again. The DVD Selena: Greatest Hits (2003) was in fact included as a bonus material in the CD Selena Ones (2002). As a Selena's fan, however, I bought both. I rate the DVD a 4 stars because the quality of the picture should be improved. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

excellent film
i loved this movie. the scenes of central americal were beautiful. the story of rosa & enrique is so poignant. the way the movie was divided into 3 parts was interesting. it was my all-time favorite movie for years (my family makes fun of me for making the ALL watch it, when it was on the depressing side) - bumped to 2nd by Cinema Paradiso. still, i MUST have el norte on dvd!

Much Better Than Survival Shows
I purchased a copy of this film in the 80's. It is one of the most powerful statements about the kinds of things which were happening in Central America during a time when most Americans lived in belief of their government's lies. It also is a most powerful statement about family and the strength one draws from that connection. The real problems in adjusting to a different culture without losing those values with which one has been raised is also a theme of this movie. I still rank it as one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would like a copy again as mine disappeared to one of the people to whom I lent it. If it becomes available in either DVD or VHS I would certainly recommend the purchase and I would be first in line. El Norte.....que magnifico!!!!!!!

a cinemagraphic masterpiece
This film is a visual and audio masterpiece. I first saw it as a univeristy student on my campus. Then i happened on it when Rite Aid was closing out its video store for ten bucks. I use it for teaching my Spanish classes. My students are able to see Mayan culture and hear the language. They are also able to hear the distinction between Guatemalan and Mexican Spanish. Before I show the film I read them selections from Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigobera Menchu's autobiography, I, Rigoberta. It is important for them to understand the plight of Latin American people and their struggle for a better existence. (I'm trying to locate the soundtrack if anyone can assist me.)

Impatiently waiting
This movie is by far one of the most well written stories about the struggles of Central American people. I am Guatemalen, so I can truly relate to this story. I've yet to watch this movie with out crying at the end. The movie captures the essence and the culture of Guatemalen people. The culture is one of very tight-nit families with old fashion values. Although this movie takes place in the 80's and a lot has changed in Guatemala since then, I can tell you for a fact that the people have not. I've gone to Guatemala many times, most recently a month ago. It would truly be paradise if it were not for the immense poverty level. I was born here in the United States, but I know the struggles my parents went thru when the came at the age of 19. Please release this movie on DVD! I do have it on VHS (and I guard it with my life) but unfortunately there is also static at the beginning. If you have not watched this movie, make sure that you do.

Illegal immigrants in the Promised Land. Eye opening!
El Norte depicts the plight of a brother and sister. They are Mayan Indians living in Guatemala but after their father is murdered in a rebellion and their mother is arrested, they have to flee their country to save their lives. They are headed north, through Mexico and then on the United States, which, like so many immigrants before them, seems like the Promised Land of electricity, flush toilets and big cars.

First they have to travel through Mexico and make believe they are Mexicans. When they finally get to Tijuana they have the difficult task of finding a way across the border without being robbed by the many unsavory characters who all compete for their small amount of money. Their first attempt ends in failure but eventually they make it by crawling on their hands and knees through a sewer pipe where they are attacked by rats. Once in Los Angeles their lives seem to improve, but they soon discover the reality of being illegal. This is not a happy story and the ending is sad and left me with a feeling of hopelessness.

One of the most striking things about the film is its innocence. It certainly was filmed on a shoestring budget and has none of the special effects we've come to expect in Hollywood films. Sometimes it had the look and feel of an amateur production, the violence looked staged, the camera often focusing on a full moon rather than or more complex shots. The acting, however, was so good that I forgot they were acting and soon was completely involved in this very human story. It was plain and simple real life. And there was humor here too, especially when the young woman gets a maid's job and has to learn to use a washing machine. However, like real life, things don't always work out for the best.

I guess I've always been aware of the plight of illegal immigrants. But I have never felt it more deeply than through this film. Highly recommended. ... Read more