“Selena” is the true story of Selena Quintinalla Perez, a young woman who took Tejano music and made it popular. She is portrayed by Jennifer Lopez, who does a marvelous job with the performance.
Selena’s father was in a band as a young man, and when he had a family of his own, he decided they should be a band too. His son and older daughter were reluctant at first, and the only child who went along with his dream was his daughter, Selena, but as they started to perform at more prestigious functions, the whole family got involved in the act. They were walking a thin line, though – they wanted to do music both in Spanish and in English, but they weren’t sure how either culture would accept them.
They were accepted very well, and though they gained in popularity, they never lost their tight family bond. Their circle was increased when guitarist Chris Perez joined the band and later married Selena, much to her father’s irritation, as he wasn’t the model young man of her father’s dreams. But they were truly happy and had decided to start a family.
Selena had started her own line of clothing and had a boutique, and hired a woman named Yolanda to be her accountant, but Yolanda embezzled money from the company. When Selena went to confront her and ask her to return the money, Yolanda shot and killed her.
Although Selena’s life had a tragic end, the movie concentrates on everything that was good about her. She was a kind and loving girl, close to her parents, and this is really brought out in the film. Even at the end, the shooting is not dramatized, but is shown to us through newspaper clips. We see real footage of Selena’s fans gathered to mourn her, but nothing is done in a macabre way.
Jennifer Lopez truly brings the role to life. Her acting and her dancing are superb – she studied films of Selena dancing so she could properly imitate the style. Selena’s parents and husband were consultants on the film and oversaw the production, wanting it all to be done in a tasteful fashion, and it was. By the time you’re done watching this movie, you’ll feel like you’ve made best friends with a wonderful girl named Selena.
This film was rated PG.
Related Blogs:
Selena Quintanilla: Death Of A Rose
Jennifer Lopez: Bronx Star Shining Bright
Gloria Estefan: The Queen of Latin Pop