Quinceañera (Echo Park, L.A.) poster & wallpaper
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Emily Rios, Jesse Garcia, Chalo Gonzalez, J.R. Cruz, Johnny Chavez ... see more see more... , Jason L. Wood , Jesus Castanos-Chima , David W. Ross , Araceli Guzman-Rico , James L. Wood , Teresa-Michelle Ruiz , Alicia Sixtos , Lisette Avila , Hector Quevedo , German Zavala , Carlos Linares , Margarita Lugo , Veronica Sixtos , Valentin Martinez Medina , Bertha Flamenco , Jorge Ortiz , Jasiel Flamenco , Alexandra Escamilla , Marlene Flamenco , Martha Orloff , Frankie Loyal , Aris Taylor , Rebecca López , Alex Sánchez , Blanca Reyes , Bob Murphy , Micah Schifman , James Claude , Dane Rosselli , Daniel Vasquez , Anthony Mendoza , Danny Álvarez , Terah Gisolo , Laura Ann Masura , Andy Bishop , Ingrid Eggertsen , Art Aroustamian , Angela Muller , Yvonne Majica-Nelson , Johnny B. , Joanie Tomsky , Arthur H , Joey Maan Yee-man , Nancy Badillo , Leslie Campos , Mario Galvez , Mercia García , Diego Pablo , Jason Rodriguez , Carmen Aquirre , David Ross , Carmen Aguirre

Magdalena is the daughter of a Mexican-American family that runs a storefront church in Echo Park, Los Angeles. With her 15th birthday approaching, all she can think about is her boyfriend, her Quince... read more read more...añera dress, and the Hummer Limo she hopes will carry her on her special day. But, a few months before the celebration, Magdalena falls pregnant. As the elaborate preparations for her Quinceañera proceed, it is only a matter of time before her religious father finds out and rejects her. Forced out of her home, Magdalena moves in with her great-great uncle, Tomas, an old man who makes his living by selling champurrado--a Mexican hot drink--in the street. Already living with him is Carlos, Magdalena's cousin, a tough cholo who was thrown out by his parents. Carlos does not disguise his disapproval of Magdalena's arrival. The back house rental where Tomas has lived happily for many years is on a property that was recently purchased by an affluent white gay couple--pioneers of gentrification in the neighborhood. Inevitably, worlds collide when they become entangled in the lives of their tenants. As Magdalena's pregnancy grows more visible, she, Carlos and Tomas pull together as a family of outsiders. But, the economics of the neighborhood are turning against them. Ultimately, this precipitates a crisis that threatens their way of life.

Flixster Users

54% liked it

17,877 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

94 critics

R, 1 hr. 31 min.

Directed by: Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland

Release Date: August 2, 2006

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DVD Release Date: January 9, 2007

Stats: 757 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (757)

  • erika250
    February 6, 2011
    erika250
    I like the plot but it was lacking something.
  • 76Majikat
    November 28, 2008
    76Majikat
    Impressive acting all round, the story?s focus is on being an outsider within a community and is a pretty original idea, however my advice would be not to read the synopsis before watching, as it is a bit of a story spoiler.

    This is certainly not a movie made for teens, it wil... read morel be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys realistic Drama.
  • dreamfaeries
    October 28, 2007
    dreamfaeries
    It was pretty good. I liked the ending.
  • zeravenyoej
    May 21, 2007
    zeravenyoej
    This movie was a lot more serious than i was expecting. Every minute is entertaining and full of heart. It was refreshing to see a gay latino thug on film handled so well. The ending is a little abrupt, but it makes sense. I love Mexicans!
  • danieljparsons
    May 19, 2007
    danieljparsons
    Known as Echo Park LA in the UK, Quiceañera is the name given in some Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas to a girl's 15th birthday - traditionally seen as the age in which a girl makes the transition to womanhood, and indeed this change is what permeates the f... read moreilm.

    Emily Rios stars as Magdalena, who, on nearing her 15th birthday, discovers she is pregnant (though she insists she has never had sex), and is pretty much abandoned by her religious family. She finds refuge with her more open-minded and kind-hearted Uncle Tomas and her gay cousin, Carlos (Jesse Garcia), who is also making transitions of his own by exploring his sexuality.

    An unusual, important and perceptive movie, Quinceañera suffers from a horribly rushed ending that damages some of what has gone before, and has a few weak performances (though both Emily Rios and Jesse Garcia are terrific). Executive produced and promoted by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven), this remains an entertaining film and is a marked improvement from joint directors Walsh Westmoreland and Richarder Glatzer's previous film, The Fluffer.
  • donnarenee2006
    March 9, 2010
    donnarenee2006
    This was a hit with me and my niece! We were totally surprised with how the story went. Pretty cool Independent film that is worth watching. Thumbs up! :)
  • ileo
    December 23, 2007
    ileo
    Fantastic!
  • trisarahtops22
    October 13, 2007
    trisarahtops22
    An intrestingly intertwined story, great acting from unknowns.
  • InaHH
    October 23, 2006
    InaHH
    Entertaining but didn't really grip me.
  • akimoro
    August 1, 2010
    akimoro
    Quinceanera is the Spanish term for a girl 15th birthday when she becomes a woman. But this movie only uses this event as a backdrop for a bunch of other issues, including sex, pregnancy, religion, and family.

    The majority of the cast were amateur actors. It was hard to tell. T... read morehis movie was excellently believable. It was set in a barrio in Los Angeles and depicts how life is for this select piece of society.

    This movie shows how what people believe is not always what is true or correct. A good lesson for everyone.

View All Quinceañera (Echo Park, L.A.) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
September 15, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The setting and the people in it make Quinceanera a party worth an RSVP. Full Review

Randy Cordova
August 31, 2006
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic

It feels awkward, both in the pat screenplay and the uneven direction. Full Review

Steve Murray
August 31, 2006
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

You realize that, while pretending to break ground, Quinceañera is ultimately stuck in familiar Hollywood formulas. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
August 25, 2006
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

[Has]courage to look realistically, instead of idealistically, at some dubious civic practices; and second, honesty about the painful feelings of kids coupled with their desperate need for love and gu... Full Review

Terry Lawson
August 25, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Sweet, formulaic and forgettable. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
August 18, 2006
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

The film is suffused with the generous, nonjudgmental spirit of Uncle Tomas, whose live-and-let-live attitude warms like the sun and who helps Magdalena and Carlos make the safe passage from adolescen...

Bruce Westbrook
August 18, 2006
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

Sometimes, keeping it real is all we ask, and this film gets the job done. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
August 18, 2006
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Quinceañera, which mixes actors and real Echo Park people, often has an engaging informality about it.

Lisa Kennedy
August 18, 2006
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

An intelligent, hopeful work. What it doesn't have in flash and outbursts, it trusts to the lived details. Possibility and truth, it asserts gently, convincingly, reside there. Full Review

Chris Vognar
August 17, 2006
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

What the movie lacks in visionary skill it makes up for in charm and wistfulness about the depleting effects of gentrification. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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