Real Women Have Curves
| Real Women Have Curves | |
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Movie Poster
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| Directed by | Patricia Cardoso |
| Produced by | Effie Brown |
| Written by | Josephina Lopez and George LaVoo |
| Starring |
America Ferrera Lupe Ontiveros Ingrid Oliu George Lopez |
| Music by | Heitor Pereira |
| Cinematography | Jim Denault |
| Edited by | Sloane Klevin |
| Distributed by | Newmarket Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Spanish |
| Box office | $7,777,790 (Worldwide) |
Real Women Have Curves is a 2002 American comedy-drama film that takes place in East Los Angeles. It gained fame after winning the Audience Award for best dramatic film, and the Special Jury Prize for acting in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. The film went on to receive the Youth Jury Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, the Humanitas Prize, the Imagen Award at the Imagen Foundation Awards, and Special Recognition by the National Board of Review. The film was directed by Patricia Cardoso, and stars a young America Ferrera as protagonist Ana García. The film is based on a play (of the same title) written by Josefina Lopez, who co-authored the screenplay for the film with producer George LaVoo. According to the Sundance Institute, the film gives a voice to young women who are struggling to love themselves and find respect in the United States.
Ana García struggles to fulfill her dream of going to college while considering family duty, and a tough economic situation. The thought of Ana going to college torments Ana's mother, Carmen, because she wants to keep her family together. Carmen also wants Ana to help work in the family-owned textile factory, run by Ana's sister Estela. The factory itself is in danger of closing; Estela cannot afford to make the rent and pay her employees. Although Ana does consent to spend sweaty summer days working in the factory, she spends her nights writing her college entrance essay for Columbia University and sneaking out to see her American boyfriend Jimmy. Ana defies Carmen (her mother) and applies to college, despite warnings against such behavior. As the summer goes by Ana grows into a confident woman through experiences with Jimmy, and positive self-affirmation. She challenges cultural and socioeconomic boundaries, in favor of a life independent from her family. Despite the warnings of her critical mother, Ana gains support from her sister and father to pursue success beyond the borders of East Los Angeles. She also starts to call out her mother on her critical and emotionally abusive ways.
The movie begins in a Hispanic neighborhood in Los Angeles. An old woman is standing at her front gate, singing enthusiastically. The camera then brings us into the living room of a home on the same street. We see a young woman, Estela (Ingrid Oliu) trying to convince her younger sister, Ana (America Ferrera) to go look after their mother Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros). Carmen is moaning and groaning in bed, looking quite ill.
Ana rolls her eyes and goes inside her parents’ bedroom. Carmen asks Ana to come nearer, whispering that she needs Ana to cook for the family that day because she is sick. Ana erupts and says she absolutely refuses to miss her last day of high school and stomps out of the room. Moments later, Carmen gets out of bed and is apparently quite alright.
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