Quinceañera

By Fernanda and Trevor

Background

- Made in 2006

- Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland

- Set in Echo Park, Los Angeles

- First shown in Sundance Film Festival-The Sundance Film Festival, a program of the Sundance Institute, is an American film festival that takes place annually in Utah. With 46,731 attendees in 2012, it is one of the largest independent film festivals in the United States.

- Won Grand Jury prize and The Audience Award in the 'Independent Film Competition: Dramatic' Category

CharactersWhat do you think the different characters represent?

Magdalena - La Virgen y La Puta

Carlos - Queer Macho/Latin Lover

Tio Thomas - Outsider taking in outsiders, Saviour

James and Gary - Gentrification

Can you think of what other characters might represent? Herman, Magdalena's father & mother?

ThemesReligion - Uncle's Garden Altar, Father is a pastor, Wearing a rosary,

Do the sign of the cross before ceremonies, etc.

Culture - Quinceañera, family is involved in everything, Father is head of the home, Mother is the caretaker

Family - Family is everything... as long as you fit/follow their beliefs, values, morals, etc.

Inner City- lower class prevents openness of identity and less independence

Loss of innocence - Quinceañera (leaving childhood), Teen pregnancy,

First time (Carlos), Death

Racial Class and Sexual Tension

- similar to D.R and being gay in previous reading on Tues how to identify with two different identities, although this story

focuses on two different paths and identities one of Magdalena a virgin, and Carlos the "homosexual"

social class is explained in Tio Thomas' example of love lost when he was younger and would have gotten married but was too poor to stay local

Tio Thomas is a bank of wisdom and experience- and offers his wisdom to Carlos and Magdalena when he talks about when he tried to commit suicide at a young age.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHdVRShrNHc

- Patriarchal machismo excommunicates them from the family, similar values/beliefs if not you are an outsider

Ex - father believes there is one way to get pregnant and doesn't believe Magdalena or how Carlos' father found a 'gay website' he would visit

- Even when Carlos hooks up with Gary, and doesn't wait for James, he breaks the bond of his relationship and new culture by hooking up with Gary when James isn't around

Questions/ThoughtsWhy do you think Tio Thomas has the altar in his greenhouse? What is it supposed to

be/represent?

Do you think Herman's parents purposely sent him away to visit relatives or was he really just visiting them for fun?

Why do you think Magdalena's parents never mentioned the idea of marrying Herman?

Did you think it was strange that Magdalena only had one brother, instead of the traditionally large Mexican family? Why do you think this is?

Do you think Magdalena's parents were angrier because she 'shamed' them or because they feel like they 'failed' as parents?

Do you think Magdalena is naive when saying to her cousin Carlos that she'll still do everything she was planning on doing (finish high school, go to college, travel, etc) or do you think she was trying to stay optimistic for herself?

Questions Continued…

- What does she mean when Magdalena asks "Are you the peanut butter in the Sandwich?"

-How did Walter find out about Carlos?

-Why do you think it's okay he covered up his sexuality to the family by telling Magdalena's side of the family he caught him with another man?

-Why do you think Tio and the kids were evicted? ...traditional yet unclear structures of relationships broken

Final message in the movie is that Death brings Families together but it is the life that connects them. Appreciate your loved ones because life is too short...