21 October 2002 | george.schmidt

America The Beautiful

REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002) ***1/2 America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, Ingrid Oliu, George Lopez, Brian Sites, Soledad St. Hilaire, Dale E. Turner. Above average indie diamond in the rough slice of life portrayal of a Mexican American teenager (Ferrara in a remarkable acting debut) trying to cope with her dream to attend college and her quarrelsome relationship with her loving but problematic mother (Ontiveros who gives a beautifully modulated turn) whose own insecurities and frustrations are taken out on her zaftig daughter. Funny, poignant and ultimately a triumph in full-bodied (no pun intended) protagonists without compromising it's clear headed vision of how society and culture myopically decides what is pleasant to the eye (or acceptable for that matter). Finally a film that portrays Latinos in a positive light by not making it a racial film' either. The screenplay by George LaVoo and Josefina Lopez (adapting her play) offers insight to familiar subject matter but with a refreshing focus on character development by not compromising it's strong message: to accept one self is to love one self. (Dir: Patricia Cardoso)