Selena - An American Dream

Movie
German title	Selena - An American Dream
Original title	Selena
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1997
length	122 minutes
Age rating	FSK 6
Rod
Director	Gregory Nava
script	Gregory Nava
production	Moctesuma Esparza , ; Robert Katz , ; Abraham Quintanilla Jr.
music	Dave Grusin
camera	Edward Lachman
cut	Nancy Richardson
occupation
	Jennifer Lopez : Selena Quintanilla-Pérez ; Jackie Guerra : Suzette Quintanilla; Constance Marie : Marcela Quintanilla; Alex Meneses : Sara; Jon Seda : Chris Perez; Lupe Ontiveros : Yolanda Saldivar; Edward James Olmos : Abraham Quintanilla; Jacob Vargas : Abie Quintanilla; Rebecca Lee Meza : Selena as a Child;

Selena - An American Dream (Original Title: Selena ) is an American drama from 1997 . It was directed by Gregory Nava , who also wrote the script . The main role was played by Jennifer Lopez .

action

The film shows the biography of the singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez . At the beginning of the film, Selena can be seen shortly before a concert on February 26, 1995 . In a flashback , Selena is shown as a child in 1981 . She sings with her father Abraham, who later buys musical instruments for his family. Then Abraham opens a restaurant where his children perform. A few months later, he files for bankruptcy.

In 1989 Selena performed at a concert. Her father criticizes her clothing. She later meets the musician Chris Perez, who gets closer to her. Abraham is against the relationship, but Selena marries Perez.

At the end of the film, Selena is shot and dies in the hospital. It shows an empty concert hall, the singer's dejected fans and pictures from the concerts of the real Selena.

Reviews

James Berardinelli wrote on ReelViews that the film helped him understand the dimensions of the tragedy that Selena's death was for her fans. He described the view of Gregory Nava as "refreshing" and praised the "brilliant" ("radiant") portrayal of Jennifer Lopez and the portrayals of some supporting actors such as Constance Marie, Jackie Guerra, Jacob Vargas and Jon Seda.

Roger Ebert certified the film in the Chicago Sun-Times of March 21, 1997 a "fresh look" and "heart" ("freshness and heart"). He praised the "electrifying" portrayal of Jennifer Lopez, which would reproduce the "magic" of Selena.

The Albuquerque Tribune on March 21, 1997 described the film as a "failure" and criticized the script, which was compared with the scripts of the " soap operas ".

In the National Review of April 21, 1997, John Simon criticized the involvement of the family of Selena Quintanilla-Perez in the production of the film, which should be the cause of numerous " clichés ".

Awards

ALMA Award

Award in the category Outstanding Feature Film (Selena)
Award in the category Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film (Jennifer Lopez)
Award in the category Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film (Jackie Guerra)
Award in the category Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film (Edward James Olmos)
Award in the category Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film (Jon Seda)
Award in the category Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film (Gregory Nava)