On S List of Movie Reviews
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Selena (1997)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
12/04, 6/25
6/25:
Jennifer Lopez can make as many movies as she wants, but nothing will top Selena.
The first 98% is fun to watch, but the rug is instantly pulled in the last 2%. What a tragedy. After reading
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's biography, it appears the movie is mostly true in general. Getting into the specifics
would've bogged it down. Another aspect to like is the heavy Tejano flavor with an all-Latino cast
which is extremely rare for a Hollywood picture.
When Selena was murdered, she got shot once in the back near the right shoulder which caused too much loss in
blood. It happened at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 31, 1995, and she was 23 years old.
Imagine accomplishing a lot at that age, and there's still so much to go. Who knows how her career would've
turned out had she lived longer? The only Hollywood picture Selena made an appearance in was
Don Juan DeMarco.
I have to say some people got robbed of an Oscar nomination. Edward James Olmos may have been memorable in
Miami Vice and Stand and Deliver, but playing Selena's father
ranks number one of his career. He has the best lines including "And we gotta prove to the Mexicans how Mexican
we are, and we gotta prove to the Americans how American we are. We gotta be more Mexican than the Mexicans
and more American than the Americans both at the same time. It's exhausting!"
How about Jennifer Lopez? She acts and looks completely different compared to later films. Over 21,000 tried
out for the role, making it the largest audition since
Gone with the Wind to find Scarlett O'Hara. If there's a reason to
hate the casting choice, it's because Jennifer Lopez is a Puerto Rican. By the way, that wasn't her singing but
Selena's voice. And absolutely no recognition for the music? It's crazy. The editing is outstanding as well,
causing the movie to fly by quickly.
All in all, Selena is among the top music biopics made.